Brooklyn Boys
by SilverPhoenix371
Summary: We all know and love the stories behind Gossip Girl, but what would have happened if Georgina never returned from that "spa trip" and left Dan with Milo? This is their story, while Milo grows up and Dan grows wiser.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Disappearing Act

3 months old…

"We're sorry Mr. Humphrey, but there's no record of a Ms. Sparks anywhere in our system. Perhaps she's staying at a different resort?"

"No, no, this…this is where she said she would be. Thanks anyway," Dan sighed as he hung up with the resort manager. Four weeks after Georgina originally said she'd back, and she was nowhere to be found. Her parents had no idea where she was, nor did the NYPD. She was originally reported as a missing person on October 22nd, 2010. The Upper East Siders could care less about her disappearance, but Dan was worried. What kind of a mother abandons her baby with a guy who isn't even her child's biological father? Sure, Dan had signed the birth certificate, but the paternity test had been faked by Georgina scheming attempt to escape an angry Russian woman. Even though Milo wasn't his, he loved him with every ounce of his being.

Dan blew all the hair out of his lungs and ran his hands through his dark, curly locks. He glanced over into where Jenny's room used to be in the loft. That was officially Milo's room, as made clear by the boat paraphernalia plastered on the walls. The mobile was spinning over the crib while a peaceful Bach tune was lightly filling the air. Dan quietly padded over to the nursery and peered into the crib. Milo was on his side, mouth wide open with slow, quiet breaths escaping his little body. A little drool began to dribble down his chin, causing Dan to chuckle. Like father like son, he thought to himself. He leaned over and kissed Milo on the forehead, then made his way to the living room. He sat down on the couch and pulled his computer onto his lap. Just because he has a son, doesn't mean he can't attend school. A hefty 18 credits a semester definitely tired him out, but the sooner he graduated, the sooner he could find a steady paying job and focus more on his son.

He tried to focus on his paper about modern England vs Victorian England, but the past few days had been such a blur, he couldn't focus on his school work. After the police filed an official missing person's report, everyone bombarded him, begging to buy him groceries or babysit, Chuck even offered to set up a tuition fund for Milo. But Dan didn't want anything from anyone; he wanted to do this on his own with as minimal help as possible. Lily and Rufus were already paying for his tuition at NYU and they owned the loft, which meant he could put all his money made by submitting pieces to Vanity Fair and cater waiting towards Milo. He minimized the word document in front of him and opened a web browser to look up daycares nearby.

He had scrolled through about three pages worth of Google searches when his phone buzzed and lit up with a Gossip Girl e-blast

The Upper East Side's biggest villain has gone rogue! A weekend at the spa has turned our very own Georgina Sparks into a missing person. But if she's anything like S, this isn't really news. But what about Lonely Boy? Will he keep the little rascal that isn't even his, or will he ship that baby out for good? XOXO

Dan slammed him phone back into the couch before returning to his daycare search. His phone lit up again with a call from Vanessa. He sighed and answered it, tucking it between his shoulder and ear as he continued his search.

"Hello?"

"Dan, did you get the e-blast? Don't listen to anything she has to say. She doesn't understa-"

"Vanessa, relax. I got the e-blast and I'm…holding on, okay? I'm fine,"

"You don't sound fine, you sound worn down. Do you need me to come over or maybe just take Milo for the night?"

"Vanessa, I'm fine. I just…need to write this paper and be with myself for a while. I have so much baby planning stuff to do before Milo wakes up and before class on Monday. I appreciate you calling, I really do, I just-"

"I get it, Dan. We're all here for you, okay? We're just worried,"

"I know, I know. I just want to do this on my own, you know? Like prove that I'm an adult I guess,"

"You've proved that to me by dealing with all the Upper East Siders, trust me. Just take it easy okay? And please don't be afraid to ask for help,"

"I won't. Thank you,"

"For what?"

"For being there for me without being overbearing,"

"Anytime, Dan. Get some sleep,"

"You too, Vanessa,"

They hung up and Dan set his phone down. He had emailed a couple daycares whilst on the phone with Vanessa. He felt a surge of motivation to finish his paper after that e-blast from GG. Two paragraphs in, Milo started to cry. Dan closed his laptop and returned it to its rightful spot on the coffee table. He half jogged into the nursery where Milo was laying on his back, squirming and sniffling.

"Good evening, stud. Did you have a good nap?" Dan asked as he lifted Milo onto his shoulder. He supported Milo's neck and smiled as his bounced the baby back and forth and paced around the loft. It seemed to entertain him for a while, before becoming fussy again. Dan checked the clock in the kitchen, where it read 5:33pm.

"Milo, you're right on time for some dinner and somehow, you're never late for this. Just like a true Humphrey," Dan smiled as he set Milo into his baby bouncer seat. Dan prepared bottle as quickly as he could before Milo had a meltdown. He picked Milo back up and began feeding him. Milo grabbed the bottle with such vengeance that you could have sworn he was starving. He paced around slowly as Milo made his way through the bottle. Dan couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such an amazing human being in his life. And there was nothing, not even Gossip Girl could do to take Milo away from him.

A knock on the loft door broke Dan out of his trance, as he slowly made his way toward the door, careful not to stir Milo too much. He opened it to find a delivery guy at the door.

"Hey, I uh didn't order anything tonight?" Dan said confusedly toward the delivery guy.

"Well, I have a prepaid delivery for some Chinese food for a Dan Humphrey,"

"That's me…hey, do you mind telling me who ordered this?"

"Someone named Vanessa? She just said you were really hungry and she was worried you'd forget to eat,"

"Well, she is not wrong. Thanks," Dan said as he propped Milo on his shoulders while he took the Chinese food and bottle in the other hand.

"Have a good night, and good luck with your little one,"

"Ah, thanks," Dan sighed. He really didn't want people' sympathy. He just wanted everyone to believe in him. Dan finished burping Milo and placed him back in the bouncer. Dan slowly bounced him with his foot and dug into his lo mein. He knew this was gonna be a long, but worthwhile road.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Family Affair

6 months…

Milo squirmed as he tried to roll off the diaper table whilst Dan was attempting to change him and put him into his clothes that didn't have spit up stains (and if we're being completely honest, those outfits were few and far between). Dan was worried for that child's safety. He'd turn around for half a second to grab a baby wipe and the next thing you know, Milo was headed for a soft rug with a hard landing.

"You know, I don't know why you have to make this so hard for Daddy, all he's trying to do is make you look nice for brunch with Gramma and Grampa," Dan sighed as he finished wrapping the diaper around his child and putting some little khakis over Milo's kicking legs. Dan propped him up on his feet and made Milo do a little dance while making a big smile and humming Train's "Hey, Soul Sister". Milo broke into a fit of giggles, which caused Dan to laugh too as he scooped Milo into his arms and showered him with kisses. Dan's heart filled with joy. He could see the wonder in his eyes and as much as he loved his family, he didn't want the Upper East Side to ruin this child before he could even walk.

Dan carried Milo out into the living room and placed him in his Pack and Play, so Dan could finish getting ready. He put his button up shirt on, buttoned it, and was just rolling up the sleeves when he heard the loft door slide open. Serena walked in, tall and gorgeous as ever.

"Morning! I was just making sure everyone was up and ready for another Sunday brunch," Serena smiled, walking over to Milo and picking him up.

"We're always up by 6:17, on the dot," Dan blurted, disappearing into the nursery.

"We've just been concerned, Dan. You solemn miss Sunday brunch with Mom and Rufus, and it's been a few weeks now,"

"Like you haven't missed any? This is the first time in a while you've made it to every Sunday in one month," Dan reappeared with a rusty red and charcoal grey diaper bag. He grabbed Milo's favorite teething toy from the freezer (a ring with different rubber textures) and his pacifier/stuffy/animal combo.

"This is not a time to play 'who has it better/worse, I was just coming over to see my stepbrother and nephew, before the grandparents start gushing over how big he's getting. I wasn't too happy with the blast a few months ago either, you know,"

"You're right, I'm just stressed out. Like my schedule is working out perfectly, between school, working, and spending time with Milo, but I just still have a huge weight on my shoulders,"

"Is it because they called off Georgina's search?" Serena questioned cautiously. Dan sighed, while taking Milo and strapping him into the stroller. He hooked the diaper bag around the stroller handle.

"Yeah…that's been hitting me hard a lot. But not because of me, I never loved her; she was absolutely crazy. But for Milo's sake. Soon, he'll be walking and talking and I'm trying to figure out how to explain his existence and how it coincides with my life,"

"Dan, Milo hasn't even started walking yet. He's still got another 6 months before he has his first birthday. You don't have to give every single detail right off the back; just feed it to him little by little as he gets older," Serena explained as they walked out of the loft and headed for the subway. Her heart broke as she saw how sad Dan was. He covered it up well with his love for Milo, but deep inside, you could tell he was torn apart. Serena vowed that the next time she saw Georgina, she'd make her understand how much trouble Dan went through to make that baby's life the best life he could ever have.

* * *

Taking the train with a stroller was always a pain, but with Serena's help, it was more manageable than when Dan had to go to school. They arrived in the UES around eleven and made their way to the loft. Jenny had come back this weekend from Hudson, and Dan was surprisingly excited to see her; he just really hoped Serena and Jenny wouldn't cause a scene. After Jenny had tried to ruin Serena's life at the masquerade, Dan was trying to Jenny some space. The Upper East Side has rocked her world and he hated that he couldn't do anything to save her before Blair gotten her hands on her.

The trio took the elevator up to the loft and made their way in. Rufus was finishing up his famous waffles in the kitchen while Lily was finishing setting the table. Their faces lit up when they saw Milo for the first time in a few weeks.

"Oh, there's our favorite boys!" Lily squealed, unstrapping Milo from the stroller while he chewed on his own fingers.

"And one of our favorite girls of course," Rufus added, pulling Serena into a hug. Dan removed the diaper bag from the stroller and folded it up. He put it in the open coat closet and brought the diaper bag into the living room, where everyone had settled.

"Uh, hey, where's Jenny?" Dan questioned, setting the bag down next to the coffee table.

"She's in her room, gathering some extra clothes to bring home. It's a little colder in Hudson than she remembered," Rufus explained, taking Milo gingerly from Lily, "I'm sure she'd love to see her nephew." Dan smiled and picked him up, then brought him into Jenny's room. He stopped in the doorway and just watched his sister. She seemed way less tense then when she had been in New York City.

"Special Delivery," Dan smirked, while rapping quietly on the door frame. Jenny turned around and he face broke into the biggest smile.

"Dan! And Milo!" Jenny exclaimed, jogging over to the pair and enveloping them into a giant hug, "How is Milo, and more importantly, how are you?"

"Milo is hitting every milestone just fine, soon he'll be crawling everywhere and I'll have to get six extra sets of eyes around my head. Although, he's a cranky teether. Like I know that baby's hated teething because it hurts so badly, but he's miserable when a new tooth comes in,"

"Aww poor little bear," Jenny cooed whilst brushing her finger across his cheek, "And you?"

"I'm hanging in there, beyond thankful that Milo is a relatively easy baby to take care of. The whole Georgina deal has…broken me into pieces, but I'll be okay. I have no choice but to be. My life has started revolving around bettering mine and Milo's lives, and that's the best thing I can do for the both of us,"

"I'm so proud of you, Dan," Jenny pulled him into a hug, "I always have been." They made their way back to the dining room so brunch could begin. Dan strapped Milo into his high chair, and had just sat down when Milo started to whimper. His cheeks were turning red and tears welled in his eyes.

"Uh oh, what's wrong little bear?" Serena tried to appease him with a waffle, but he batted it away and burst into tears.

"He's just got another tooth or two coming in, nothing new." Dan jumped up and grabbed the bumpy teething ring from the diaper bag. He sat back down and positioned the ring in Milo's mouth, where Milo gripped it with his little hands and began to gum it. Dan pulled out a pocket pack of tissues and used one to wipe Milo's leftover tears and then his dribbling, snotty nose. Everyone stared at him in awe.

"What?" Dan questioned, as he got up to throw the tissue away and wash his hands.

"We've just…never seen you really parenting," Lily sipped on her champagne.

"You've just been so busy we haven't seen you much. And that was just…I've never seen such a natural with a baby, especially at your age," Rufus patted Dan on the back.

"I can't take all the credit, those baby books are usually pretty helpful. And I mean, I'm twenty, not the most preferable age to be a father, but you've got to do what you've got to do," Dan brushed Milo's hair out of his face and switched the teething ring out for a bowl of apple sauce. He began spoon feeding Milo, whose favorite activity at this age was eating and causing trouble.

"I'm so sad that I have to go back to Hudson and miss seeing Daddy Dan," Jenny picked on him, fake pouting and all.

"It's almost twelve thirty right? And your train leaves at one thirty, so why don't I treat you to coffee and drop you off at Grand Central," Dan offered.

"I would love that!" Jenny exclaimed, the young adults' phone's lit up with another Gossip Girl blast.

Spotted: Little J at a weekend hurrah with her family in the Upper East Side. Aunt Jenny is going to have hell to pay when Queen B finds her. A game of hide and go see for J it is, so she better start running. XOXO

"C'mon!" Jenny slammed her fists on the table as she got up and made her way to her room to get her suitcase and backpack.

"What's going on?" Rufus stood up, and started cleaning off the table.

"Gossip Girl gave away that Jenny is here, and now Blair will following us on the GG spotted map," Dan explained, unstrapping Milo from the high chair and strapping him into the stroller. Milo was given his teething toy back, and he resumed gumming it.

"Blair was going to completely destroy her, but Jenny left before she got a chance to," Serena added while she grabbed their jackets and tossed them to their owners.

"Are you sure you want to take little bear with you?" Lily questioned, clasping her hands nervously. Jenny hugged her dad and step mom and made her way to the elevators

"Oh yeah, he's gonna help us get J to Grand Central without a hassle," Dan yelled as the three siblings stepped into the elevator and began their game of tag with Blair.

* * *

"So what's you bright idea, Dan?" Jenny crossed her arms over her chest.

"Serena and I are going to walk there, so you two need to switch shoes. Blair knows Serena doesn't wear flats,"

"Umm how do you know I don't wear flats?" Serena turned to face Dan.

"Because I haven't seen you in flats over then when you wear slippers, now just switch your shoes," Dan gave her a look. The two girls sat on the benches in the foyer of the apartment building where the loft was.

"Jenny, you're gonna take the 6 and the 4 and it'll take you right into Grand Central,"

"Doesn't Blair have a driver though?" Jenny stood up, now three inches taller.

"Yes, but she wouldn't be caught dead in the subway system. She doesn't even like getting into certain taxis without Dorota cleaning the seats first," Serena stood up, now three inches shorter. From behind, they were identical, which would throw Blair completely off her track.

"Ready to go?" Dan started pushing Milo towards the door. The two girls followed in tow, and when they got out the door, the mission was on. Dan and Serena walked Jenny to the entrance of the 6 train, then followed the route Jenny was, but above ground and on the sidewalks. They had to walk fast to keep up with the trains, but Milo thought all the bumps were hysterical. Dan smiled at Milo's giggling, but that smile quickly dropped when Milo's giggles turned into horrific screaming with tears. Dan and Serena stopped walking and moved the stroller to the inside of the sidewalk.

"Hey hey hey, what's wrong little bear?" Dan crouched down to look at his son. He stuck his finger in Milo's mouth and felt around gently.

"Dan, what are doing?" Serena crossed her arms, trying to stay warm.

"Trying to see if he has a tooth coming in, which he does," Dan made his way to the back of the stroller and rifled through the diaper bag. He pulled out a plastic baggy of frozen grapes. He stuck one in Milo's hands and Milo went all in.

"What about the teething ring?"

"Oh, it melted. I would have brought another one, but I wasn't expecting to run around Manhattan. I took some frozen grapes from brunch just in case he got fussy, and they're also his favorite snack," he answered, putting the plastic baggy in the cup holder for when Milo needed a refill.

"Dan, you're incredible!" Serena exclaimed.

"Nope, I'm just a dad," Dan smiled.

"Humphreys!" the pair heard Blair yell from a block away. Dan turned around to see her walking with revenge in her eyes and her Jimmy Choos.

"Go!" Dan turned to Serena and they two started fast walking. They could feel Blair catching up to them, but they were still moving fast. There was only one more block to Grand Central when Blair grabbed Serena's shoulder. The two stopped dead in their tracks.

"Jenny you are so-Serena?!" Blair frowned and pouted. Dan unstrapped Milo and picked him up, because he was starting to squirm and get restless from sitting all day.

"Sorry Blair, I guess we were just too quick for you," Dan stepped toward.

"Where is she?" Blair demanded.

"On her way back to Hudson, she was just visiting. She already feels bad for what happened, and everyone has forgiven her. Why can't you?" Serena rolled her eyes.

"Because she hurt you. And I hate seeing you hurt. You're my best frie-hey what is the droll monster doing," Blair exclaimed as Milo leaned in and grabbed the pearls around Bair's neck and began to suck on them.

"He's teething and loves bumpy things to suck and chew on, since his baby teeth are hurting him," Dan laughed, trying to pry his growling son away.

"Ugh, he can have them. They're all slobbery now." She took them off and Milo leaned back to Dan, expensive pearls and all, "You win this time, Humphrey. Tell Little J to stay away, got it?"

"Of course, Blair," Dan mumbled as they started walking away from the Queen.

* * *

They arrived within record time after their detour to grab some lattes to go, and met Jenny near her train.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jenny smiled as she hugged Dan and Milo tight, "And thank you too," she hugged Serena and handed her shoes back.

"Anything for you, little sis," Dan handed her a latte, "Don't give mom too much trouble, alright?"

"I won't," she kissed him on the cheek and he returned the gesture. He smiled as she got on her train and waved goodbye. Dan and Serena waved back, wondering when Blair would give up the fight.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Bump in the Road

9 months…

Dan and Milo had an almost flawless weekday routine. At 6:17 every morning, they were up and getting ready for the day. First, they ate breakfast and had a little bit of play time together. Dan now showered at night, when Milo was asleep, so he only had to rinse his hair under the faucet while Milo sat in the baby bouncer. He toweled off his hair, then brought Milo into the nursery for a diaper change and to get him dressed.

"Oh, Milo, you are not a little stinker, you are a big stinker," Dan exclaimed as he undid Milo's diaper. Milo giggled, full well knowing he was the culprit. Dan was glad that he always stayed in his pajamas when getting Milo dressed, but sometimes this kid had some pretty explosive diapers. He cleaned him off and put some diaper cream on his little butt. He began to put the fresh diaper on his wiggle worm of a son when he heard Milo mutter something.

"What was that, little bear?" Dan smiled over at him, pulling the diaper tabs to the front.

"Dada," Milo repeated. Dan looked at him, now speechless as Milo had just spoke his first word. He couldn't believe it; Milo's first word was dada, and he was the dada in this case. Sure, Milo had been babbling for months, but just like his father, he had some trouble making words. Dan put a onesie, some sweatpants, and a zip up hoodie on Milo as fast as he could and picked him up into a big hug. He was holding back tears, as this whole "Daddy Dan" thing suddenly became very real. He hoped he would have many more of these proud moments throughout his life. Dan heard the loft door slide open and someone walked in with clicking heels.

"Hello?" Vanessa called out, walking into the loft.

"Hey, Vanessa, oh my god, oh my god," Dan brought Milo out and set him on the floor, where he crawled out towards Vanessa.

"What's wrong, why are you freaking out?" Vanessa picked up Milo.

"He said his first word, he said 'dada'!" Dan exclaimed as he got ready in his room. He came out and pulled the V-neck sweater over his head.

"Dan, that's amazing! Soon he'll be walking and then it'll be his first birthday,"

"Don't remind me, he's already growing up too fast," Dan laughed, taking Milo from Vanessa and strapping the baby backpack to himself, then strapping Milo into the baby backpack. He repacked the diaper bag so that his books and all of Milo's stuff fit inside.

"Okay okay, we'll just focus on the now then. Ready to go?" she said, sliding the loft door open.

"Let's go," Dan smiled, his heart still swelled from another memory he'd keep forever.

* * *

"Closed due to pinkeye outbreak," Dan read off the sign on the door of his daycare provider. He immediately looked down at Milo. Neither of his eyes were red and his breathing was pretty clear.

"Oh my God. What…do you have a baby sitter?" Vanessa asked.

"Well, my daycare provider's daughter normally watches him on the days I cater. I don't have time to drop him off in the Upper East Side, and since Lily and Rufus are out of town and Serena, Nate, and Blair are at Columbia, that would leave me with Chuck. Usually by 8am, he's three glasses of scotch deep, so it looks like it's 'Bring Your Kid to Class' day," Dan turned toward the direction of NYU and started walking.

"Well, maybe we can take turns watching him. I have class at nine, noon and one," Vanessa caught up with him.

"And I have class at ten, eleven, and one. I'll just take him to my last class, then I don't know about work later,"

"How many parties are you catering tonight?"

"Just one, thankfully. Are you working?"

"Yeah, sorry Dan. Maybe Chuck won't be so bad?"

"Yeah, I don't know. I'll figure it out," Dan shrugged as they arrived at their location, "Meet me at the library at five of?"

"Sounds like a plan," Vanessa smiled, walking into her class. Dan watched her walk away, wondering how in the world he got so lucky to have an amazing best friend.

* * *

Dan and Vanessa switched off Milo flawlessly throughout the day, taking him on walks and playing with him in empty study rooms scattered throughout campus. Dan texted Nate on his way to his one o'clock class. Milo has just settled in for a nap, so Dan prayed he'd stay asleep.

D: Hey man, you busy tonight?

N: Nah, what's up?

D: Do you mind watching Milo for a few hours? Everyone else I know is busy, and then there's Chuck.

N: Yeah, no problem.

D: Sweet, meet me at my place? 3pm?

N: Sure, see you then.

Dan put his phone in his back pocket as he took the seat closet to the door. Sitting down in the desk with a baby backpack on the front of him was proving difficult, but he managed. He pulled his books out the diaper bag and settled in to go over his homework. Other students began to filter in, some stopping to coo over the baby, others giving Milo strange looks. Dan just gave awkward smiles and nods back. Finally, his professor walked in. Dr. Roth first walked past Dan and Milo, but then back tracked.

"Mr. Humphrey, are you aware of the presence of a one year old attached to your chest?" Dr. Roth furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes, doctor. He's um, my son, Milo. He's actually nine months old today," Dan chuckled, covering his face in embarrassment.

"And may I ask, why he's at a class for Advanced Poetry?"

"His daycare was closed today for a medical emergency. I promise he won't be any trouble, and if he starts to be, I'll get him out of here, right away," Dan pleaded.

"No need to worry, he's welcome here anytime. Though I suggest, he'd fit in much better in the Beginner English Language Class," Dr. Roth made his way toward the podium. The class laughed at this remark and the fifty minute class began. Everything was going well, and Dan's sonnet was a hit with his colleagues, but about halfway through, Milo started to stir and whine. Dan quietly picked him up and gave him a pacifier, while putting a small blanket and some soft toys on the ground next to him. He sat Milo down quietly to let him play on his own. Dan would glance down every once in a while to watch Milo, and Milo would always look back up and giggle through his pacifier.

"Dada!" Milo exclaimed.

"Shhh, thank you," Dan whispered.

"Oh, I see our newest student is trying his hand at poetry today," Dr. Roth leaned on the podium. The class laughed and Dan's cheeks reddened again.

"I'm so sorry about this situation, professor. He actually said his first word earlier today, and it was that,"

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, it seems as though Milo is experiencing another first,"

"Excuse me?" Dan squinted at his professor. Dr. Roth pointed toward the ground. Dan peered over and jolted up when he saw Milo taking his first steps. Dan squatted down a few feet in front of his son with his arms held out. He'd been propping himself up and walking with assistance for weeks now.

"C'mon, little bear, you can do it!" Dan beamed as Milo fell into his arms, "Yeah! That's my boy!" Dan stood up and showered his baby with kisses. He finally fell back into the moment, realizing that all eyes were on him, "Uhh, I, I'm so-"

"No need to apologize, Mr. Humphrey. Not when we get to experience this amazing moment. Class dismissed," Dr. Roth packed up his papers, as the students filtered out. Dan was the last one headed for the door, as he packed up his and Milo's belongings, "And Mr. Humphrey?"

"Yes, Dr. Roth?" Dan peered back, as he put Milo in the baby backpack and packed their belongings into the diaper bag, then hoisted it onto his shoulder.

"Keep up the good work- the writing and the parenting. You've got talent in both of those aspects of your life,"

"Thank you, professor," Dan nodded, and walked out the door. He ran into Vanessa, who was waiting to take the subway back with him.

"Hey, how'd it go?" she asked, as they walked toward the busiest part of the city.

"Good, Milo was pretty tame, and oh, did I mention that he took his first steps?"

"What?! Holy cow, Dan, this day is shaping up to be amazing for you!"

"I guess so, and now, we just wait for Nate to pick him up," Dan knew that there were always going to be hardships with this parenting thing, but overall, Dan knew this would be the most rewarding part of his life.

* * *

Dan and Milo dropped Vanessa off at The Bean in Brooklyn on their way back to the loft. Dan picked up a coffee and took the long way home, just so he could spend extra time with Milo. The party he was catering started set up at four and was getting over at eight, which meant he wouldn't be home until nine.

"How do you like the sunshine, little bear?" Dan smiled down at his son.

"Dada!" Milo exclaimed. Dan laughed and headed up the stairs to the loft. He slide the door open and made his way inside. He dropped the diaper bag off in the nursery so that he could repack it for tomorrow. He took Milo out of the baby backpack and laid him on the changing station, then set the baby backpack on the floor.

"Whoo, Milo Randolph Humphrey, again?!" Dan turned his head away from the stench. He guessed the green beans from his lunch was the culprit. Dan heard the loft door slide open.

"Hello?" Nate called, peering into the loft before stepping in.

"In here!" Dan poked his head back as he wiped Milo.

"Whoa, who let off the stink bomb in here?" Nate took his jacket off and draped it on the couch.

"Yeah, that would be the baby you volunteered to watch." Dan laughed, placing Milo in the pack and play, before heading into his room to put on his catering uniform.

"Hey, anytime man. I have no idea what parenting is like, but at least I'll get to see what it's like,"

"Milo's a pretty easy baby to take care off. He loves his bumbo ball and his bear blanket. If he started getting fussy, try a bottle of milk or a pacifier, changing him is the last resort. He eats dinner at 5:33 exactly, it's just always been that way. If you feel so inclined, you can give him a bath, but our bath tub is too big for him at the moment, so I just use the kitchen sink," He doesn't have an exact bedtime, but he usually gets drowsy around 7:40. I laid his pajamas out on his changing station, and you have my number," Dan reappeared and buttoned his vest, then straightened his tie.

"Whoa, I need to write this down," Nate laughed.

"It's on the fridge," Dan pointed toward the kitchen, while putting his jacket on.

"Alright, thanks man. Have a good shift,"

"Thanks, and please don't hesitate to call if you have any issues," Dan gave his son a big hug and a kiss, before handing him to Nate.

"I won't," Nate nodded as Dan waved and left the loft. He looked down to see a brown eyed, dark curly haired baby staring back at him.

"So Milo…do you like football?"

Nate couldn't believe how easy it was to take care of Milo. He ate his dinner with only a little bit of fussing and he loved playing peekaboo with Nate and the bear blanket. Nate ran the bath in the sink for Milo when he noticed that Milo was sniffling and his left eye was red and watery.

"Hey little guy, what's up with your eye?" Nate asked as he changed Milo out of his clothes and placed him into the sink. He put the baby thermometer he found in the nursery in Milo's ear. It beeped and Nate read it. It read 100.3 Fahrenheit. Nate began to panic while he shampooed Milo's hair. He rinsed his soapy hands and dialed the first person he could think of.

"Hello?" Nate heard the raspy voice of his best friend

"Hey, I'm taking care of Milo right now, and all of a sudden his eye got all pink and watery, and he has a fever and is sneezing like crazy for a nine month old, and I don't know what to do," Nate asked, with the phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder as he rinsed Milo off and wrapped him in a towel.

"I'll be right over. Try to keep him occupied,"

Nate hung up the phone and carried Milo into the nursery. He put Milo in a new diaper and his pajamas and took him into the living room to rock him, hoping he wouldn't get fussy.

* * *

Chuck tried to avoid Brooklyn whenever possible, but his best friend needed him. He pushed the loft door open and stepped inside to hear a baby crying hysterically. Nate stood up from the rocking chair, looking calm but also frazzled.

"Thank God you're here," Nate blurted.

"Relax, Nathaniel. I have an easy plan for this. We're just going to go to a pharmacy and get him some eye drops, since it appears he has pinkeye, then bring him here and administer them," Chuck took Milo from Nate and placed him in the stroller by the door and strapped him in, "Well? Patton's closes at eight, so let's go" The boys turned off the lights and grabbed a set of keys, then made their way out of the apartment building.

"So…how did you end up with Georgina's affair baby for the night?" Chuck asked as he pushed the stroller along toward the pharmacy.

"Well, the baby is legally Dan's, so I don't think Georgina will ever get him back if she ever reappears. Dan's daycare was closed for the day, and his baby sitter cancelled because the daycare was closed, so he texted me and asked if I could babysit," Nate explained. The men's phones went off simultaneously as they entered the pharmacy.

Spotted: Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass in Brooklyn, with Lonely Boy's son? What could these two possibly be doing with D's baby? Maybe he decided to give him up after all. XOXO

"Oh my God, Chuck, Dan is going to kill me!" Nate grabbed his hair.

"Relax, Nathaniel. Dan will completely understand when he hears the real story, and not some stupid blast from Gossip Girl," Chuck grabbed a box of eye drops and brought them up to the counter. He paid for them and guided Nate and the stroller to the door, "Now let's get home before the paparazzi catch on,"

* * *

Dan went out to the truck for a water break and also checked his phone to see if he had any missed calls or texts. Instead, he saw the blast from Gossip Girl. Dan was angry to say the least. The party was over, but they still needed to clean up. He made his way back inside to find his boss.

"Hey, so I know we still have to break down the party, but I have an emergency with my son and I really need to get home, is it okay if I go?" Dan pleaded, his eyes clearly filled with worry.

"Go ahead, this was a pretty tame party anyway. Zara and I can take it," Krista answered, "Send Milo my love."

"I most certainly will, thank you," Dan spat out as he fumbled around to find his jacket. He grabbed it and bolted out the delivery door and ran all the way home. There was no time to wait for a cab, considering he was only five blocks away. He ran up the stairs in his apartment building and slid the loft door open wide. He saw Nate holding down his son on a baby blanket on the kitchen counter while Chuck had a dropper held over Milo's eyes.

"What are you doing?!" Dan panted.

"Dan, I promise it's not-"

"Not what, Nate? I trusted you with my own son, and asked for you to call me if you had any issues. Instead, I found out about this whole fiasco through Gossip Girl. Nate, do you know how mad I am? I can't beli-"

"Daniel, your son clearly has pinkeye. Nathaniel noticed it when he was giving Milo a bath, and he took his temperature, and he has a fever. I came over the minute he called me, and I took them both to the pharmacy to get some eye drops, and we were just administering them, except your son seems to prefer to move than stay still," Chuck looked up at Dan.

"You guys really went to through all this, just for my son?" Dan walked over to the make shift medical bed.

"Yeah man, I was scared. I didn't know what to do, so I just called Chuck. I didn't want to bother you, but I wanted to make this better," Nate was sincere, with the amount of remorse in his eyes.

"I really appreciate it, but please just call me next time, okay? Thank you, both of you," Dan took his baby off of the counter. Chuck handed him the drops and Dan hugged Milo's arms to his body and dropped one drop in each eye. Milo blinked a few times, then yawned, "Milo seems to have the right idea, and it's time to hit the hay. I'll text you both tomorrow, okay? Thank you, again."

"Yeah, anytime. I'd love to watch Milo again, if you still want me to do so," Nate acknowledged.

"He's a great kid," Chuck added, "See you later, Humphrey."

"Night guys," Dan followed them to the door. Dan peered down at his son, who was softly snoring in his arms. He brought him into the kitchen to grab the thermometer. He sat down in the rocking chair in the nursery, and began rocking Milo to keep him asleep. Dan put the thermometer in Milo's ear and it beeped a few minutes later. His son's fever had gone back down to a normal temperature. Dan felt relieved. He was glad he had friends who had not only his back, but his son's back as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A Not So Happy Birthday

12 months/1 year old

Dan woke up to Milo grabbing and pinching his nose. Normally, Dan could sleep through anything, but the lack of air and the sweltering New York City heat was getting to him. He was also feeling a lot of mixed feelings during the current moment.

"Milo, do you know what day it is?" Dan asked, laying on his back with the mid-July sunshine pouring through the window.

"Birthday!" Milo yelled, letting go of Dan's nose and throwing his hands above his head.

"And you know what that means, right? You get an extra special visit from…the tickle monster!" Dan exclaimed, grabbing Milo and pulling him onto his chest and tickling him in all of his ticklish spots (behind the knee, in between the neck and shoulder, and arm pits). Dan's heart almost couldn't handle all the love that filling into it. A year ago today, he never thought he'd be doing this alone. Before Milo was born, he knew he loved Milo, but after the first time he held him and Milo grabbed onto his pinkie finger? It was indescribable. His love turned from situational to forever. Without a doubt, July 11th was Dan's favorite day of the year.

"Daddy!" Milo yelled, snapping Dan out of his trance.

"Yes?" Dan looked up at his son, who was now straddling Dan's stomach.

"Birthday!" Milo threw his hands in the air again.

"Yes, it is your first birthday! Let's go get you dressed," Dan smiled and sat up, helping Milo off the bed before watching his son's chubby little legs make a U-turn from Dan's room into his. Dan slowly followed Milo, taking his time to soak in every moment from this day. Truth be told, Milo normally slept in his own room, but Dan was feeling both elated and a little upset that his son was turning a year old. He wanted to experience every moment of this day with his little bear (who wasn't so little anymore), so he put Milo down to sleep in his bed. Dan knew that Milo and him sharing his bed wasn't going to be an every night thing, but he could at least listen to his son snore and get kicked by the bed hog every once in a while.

Dan changed Milo's diaper and put him in a play shirt and some shorts, since his birthday party wasn't until later that day. Dan set Milo on the floor and he was off like a bandit, ready to scarf down some breakfast. Dan laughed at his son's running style, as it was over exaggerated and theatrical.

"Just play for a little, okay? I'm going to make you a Humphrey breakfast special," Dan grabbed a t-shirt and some jean shorts from the clean laundry basket and stepped into his room to put them on. He came back out to see his son reaching for a spatula on the counter by trying to climb the drawers.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hey little bear, that was dangerous," Dan ran over and removed Milo from his make shift ladder, "The next time you'd like to help Daddy with breakfast, just ask," Dan put Milo in his high chair and strapped him in. He pulled the high chair over to the waffle iron, but far enough away to not have Milo burn himself. Dan put all the ingredients for waffles into a bowl and handed Milo the whisk. Dan held over his son's hands so that he wouldn't go wild with the mixing. Once well beaten, Dan poured the batter into the waffle iron and closed it. The two played peekaboo while they waited. The iron dinged and Milo clapped his hands with a big smile on his face. Dan cut up a waffle into small pieces and made sure they were cool before depositing the fragments onto the high chair's tray. Dan also cut up a few strawberries and poured some coffee for himself and milk for Milo. Dan smiled as they enjoyed their breakfast together, knowing that this day would fly by too fast.

* * *

After enjoying a soft pretzel together, and feeding the ducks the leftovers, Dan and Milo were headed back to their loft to get ready for Milo's birthday party. Milo had fallen a couple of times whilst running around the duck pond, so Dan decided that a bath was in store. Dan filled the sink with warm water and added some bubble bath to make it extra special. Dan took Milo's clothes and diaper off in the living room, and of course, Milo took that opportunity to do a couple laps in the nude. He was laughing the entire time, as Dan chased him and scooped him up.

"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's…Super Bear!" Dan held Milo like a superhero, Milo's laughs and screams getting louder, even after he was placed in the sink. Dan turned the radio on and "Moves like Jagger" by Maroon 5 was playing. Dan danced and sang along, and Milo bopped along, bouncing his rubber ducky in the water. Dan was getting splashed, but he didn't care; he loved seeing his son have fun. While they were jamming out, Dan didn't hear Blair slide the door open and walk in. She opened her mouth to speak, but was astonished by what she was witnessing. Dan had always had love in his heart, but Blair had never seen or felt this much love in the room, not even when he and Serena were together. She quietly took her phone out of her clutch, took a photo, and then decided to take a video of the two boys enjoying their time. She caught herself smiling, but quickly wiped it off.

"Humphrey!" she barked, making Dan jump.

"Well hello to you too Blair. What's up?" Dan asked as he peered back at her, before rinsing off Milo.

"I've been asked to pick up a cake for the birthday party later, so what kind would you like?"

"Oh that's not up to me," Dan chuckled, while wrapping Milo in a towel, "Little bear?"

"Berry!" Milo exclaimed, while trying to slither out of Dan's arms.

"Strawberry it is. I'll see you both at 3pm at Hawk Gallery," Blair smirked, then turned on her heels, "Au revoir!"

"See ya!" Dan called while making his way into the nursery. He shook his head and laughed at Blair's tough exterior, because he knew deep down inside, Blair had a caring bone somewhere in her body.

* * *

Dan and Milo rolled up to Milo's birthday party at Rufus' gallery. Dan couldn't believe how many people showed up to the party; his parents, including his mom and Jenny, Nate, Serena, Chuck, Blair, some of his work friends, some classmates, and much to his enjoyment, Vanessa. Dan unstrapped Milo from the stroller and he ran all the way to Vanessa with a big smile on his face.

"'Nessa!" Milo yelled as Vanessa picked him up and gave him a big hug and kiss.

"Happy Birthday, Milo! Are you having fun?" she looked at him. He gave her a big nod, and hugged her back. Dan's heart stopped beating for a second as he watched them, but he couldn't figure out why. He couldn't shake the feeling, but he knew he had to ignore it. This party was for Milo, and his potential feelings or whatever could wait.

"How are you, Dan? Vanessa snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Completely and utterly filled with bliss. His first birthday day is going every way I could've imagined, and even though he probably won't remember it, I'm glad that I could soak in every moment to share with him later," Dan rambled, which made him blush.

"Dan, that's so sweet!" Vanessa handed Milo to Dan, "I think it's time for cake, what do you think Milo?"

"Yay!" Milo raised his hands above his head and clapped. Dan laughed, and brought him over to the center of the art gallery. He set Milo in the high chair and removed his shirt so it wouldn't get completely destroyed. He attached the tray to the high chair and grabbed Milo's cupcake from the cake table. He lit the candle and looked at everyone around him, as they began to sing and he walked closer to his baby, who wasn't going to be a baby for much longer. He squatted next to the high chair during the last few notes and set the cupcake down on the tray.

"Milo, make a wish and blow out the candle on three. Ready? One, two, three!" Dan whispered, then helped him blow out the candle. Everyone snapped pictures of the breathtaking moment, including Blair, who was feeling sentimental. Dan removed the candle, and Milo went all in to his cupcake. Dan walked back over to the cake table and helped serve cake with Vanessa.

"So you think he's having a good time?" Vanessa continued their conversation from before.

"I think he's having an amazing time," Dan looked over toward his son, then noticed something wasn't right. He dropped his plate of cake and pushed his way through to son. Milo was covered in hives and his face was blowing up like a balloon. He was wheezing and coughing.

"Someone call 911!" Dan yelled as he quickly, but carefully unstrapped Milo and removed him from the high chair. He took Milo's pants off so they wouldn't cut off circulation. Everyone moved as he laid Milo on the floor. Dan teared up, trying to stay strong for his son, even though he didn't know what was wrong.

"Shhh, its okay little bear. Daddy loves you so much and he's going to keep you safe," Dan choked out behind his tears. The EMT's arrived quickly and began their rescue. Dan followed them down the stairs of the gallery and hopped in the back of the ambulance.

"Rescue 562, en route to Our Lady of Grace Hospital, we have an infant with worsening symptoms. More info to come," the EMT dispatched into her CV radio, "Can I have a name for the patient?"

"Milo Randolph Humphrey," Dan stared down at his son.

"And a birthday?"

"July 11th, 2010," Dan continued. The EMT looked up at him, realizing the situation.

"I'm so sorry,"

"It's okay, I mean it's not, but it will be soon," Dan looked up at her with optimism. His phone buzzed, with an untimely blast from GG.

An Upper East Side emergency with the youngest member. His first birthday has turned into his first big disaster, with a trip to the hospital. Did Queen B try to poison him? Who knew the Queen of Broken Hearts would be so jealous for the spotlight? XOXO

* * *

The waiting room at Our Lady of Grace was filled with sorrow as Milo's birthday party guests awaited for Dan to return with an update and, hopefully, good news. Rufus and Lily held each other, realizing just how much their grandchild meant to them, even if he wasn't blood related. Vanessa paced around the waiting room, finding herself unable to sit down. Serena, Jenny and Nate delivered coffee to everyone, knowing that it was going to be a long night. Blair was the most worried out of everyone, especially because of the blast. She didn't poison Milo; she just followed instructions and picked up Milo's favorite cake. Chuck was holding one of her hands, while her other hand held her stomach, feeling as if she was going to be sick. Dan walked out into the waiting room, red eyes complimenting the bags under his eyes. Everyone turned to him as he walked over to take a seat next to his parents.

"It was an allergic reaction, but because they don't know the recipe to the cake, they can't test anything on him to determine what exactly set the reaction off. Milo's okay, still on a breathing cannula to get some extra oxygen into him, as well as a IV of fluids," Dan tried to smile, keeping it together for everyone around him.

"Could it have been the strawberries?" Lily asked.

"No, he eats those for breakfast almost every day and has never had an issue," Dan shook his head. He looked over to Blair, who was ravaging through her purse. She pulled out a yellow piece of paper with black script on it.

"Here, this is the menu for the cake place I ordered from. It has all the ingredients listed on it," Blair reached out the paper toward Dan. He grabbed it, his heart suddenly lifting.

"Blair, this is beyond helpful! You're a life saver!" Dan exclaimed as he was buzzed through the double doors into where his son was. Blair burst into tears, which caused everyone to look her way. If only they knew the torment she was feeling after everything that had happened today.

* * *

Dan returned after an hour and a half, and by that time, only Lily, Rufus, Jenny, and Vanessa remained. He had Milo in his arms, smiling and covered with small esthetician wipes on his back. Everyone stood up and gathered their things, as Dan signed the release form and had Milo discharged.

"Well, as you can see, Milo is still enjoying his birthday, despite being severely allergic to gelatin," Dan tickled Milo's tummy, causing him to fold into giggles in Dan's arms.

"Gelatin? Who uses gelatin in a cake?" Jenny gave a confused and disgusted look.

"Whatever bakery Blair used. They claim that it makes the cake less dry, but I'd prefer my kid stay alive than have a moist cake," Dan chuckled, "I'll text Blair when we get home. She seemed pretty torn up over this,"

"She left here in tears. We told her it wasn't her fault but she busted out of here as fast as she could," Vanessa explained.

"Well, I'll talk some sense into her. Alright, let's get out of here," Dan gave everyone who was left from Milo's party hugs, and after they wished Milo a final happy birthday, the two boys made their trek back to Brooklyn.

* * *

Dan slid the loft door open with Milo in his arms, and he walked in to find Blair pacing around his loft. Milo was slumped over, asleep on Dan's shoulder, so he couldn't fully freak out. Dan gave her a confused look as he slowly made his way into his room and placed Milo on his bed, figuring that baby cuddles would be much needed after today. Dan closed his bedroom door so that it was just a crack open, and made his way over to Blair.

"What are doing here?" Dan whispered.

"I feel terrible and I almost killed your baby and I feel so sick and I ju-" Blair whispered back, tears starting to flow again.

"Blair, we just found out he's allergic to gelatin, nobody knew and it wasn't your fault!" Dan explained.

"But what if I do that to my kid? What if I can't take care of my kid?" Blair continued to freak out.

"Blair, it's okay. No parent is perfect, you just learn as you go. Plus, you've got tons of time before you're going to have children, so you can just relax about it," Dan held her shoulders to keep her from shaking.

"No, if anything I'm running out of time, Dan! I'm pregnant! 4 months pregnant to be exact, and I'm terrified and I haven't told anyone except for Dorota and now you and I don't know what to do!" Blair rambled until she fell apart into Dan's arms. He held her up, shocked at her revelation. He now knew why she was giving off a motherly and caring vibe lately.

"Have you told the father?" Dan questioned, propping her back up on her own two feet.

"No, I haven't told Chuck yet, but I'm scared. I don't want him to be mad and leave me," Blair whimpered.

"Blair, if he leaves you because of that, then you don't need him in your life to begin with. You're strong, and I know you'll be an amazing mom," Dan smiled at her.

"Thank you, Humphrey. And I'm still really sorry about Milo," Blair made her way to the door.

"Stop apologizing. He's happy and healthy and that's all that matters," Dan leaned in the door way as Blair walked down the hallway, "Good night, Blair,"

Blair waved at him before turning around a corner and disappearing from sight. Dan closed the loft door and locked it, so no one else could disturb his time with Milo. It was 11:58, which meant in two more minutes, his baby would no longer be a real baby. Dan turned off the lights in the kitchen and living room, before quietly entering the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth, he received three texts from Blair. There were two photos, one from when he was giving Milo a bath and one of him and Milo blowing out the birthday candle. The other text was a video of Dan and Milo jamming out at the sink during Milo's bath. Dan didn't realize she had been in the apartment that long when she asked about the cake, but he was glad she captured those moments. Dan left the bathroom and quietly made his way into his bedroom. He changed into some boxer shorts and carefully lifted Milo from the bed so he could lay down. Dan laid Milo down on his chest, and got settled to sleep.

"Daddy?" Milo lifted his head and poked Dan on the nose.

"Yes, little bear?" Dan held onto Milo tight.

"I lub you," he kissed Dan on the cheek, before laying his head back down on Dan's chest.

"I love you too, Milo. Happy birthday, baby boy," Dan kissed Milo on the head, then melted into a deep sleep, his heart filled with love.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Here Comes the…Wait, Where's The Bride?

18 months/1 ½ year

Dan couldn't walk around his loft without tripping. And no, he wasn't tripping over Milo's toys, he was tripping over wedding décor. Preparations for Blair and Chuck's wedding were well underway, especially now that Blair had given birth to her daughter, Emiliee Rose Waldorf-Bass. Everyone was going absolutely crazy, especially under Blair's watch. Lately, Dan had opened his loft up for Blair to use as wedding storage, including her wedding dress, since Chuck wouldn't be caught dead in Brooklyn unless absolutely necessary. He had also been watching Emilee and taking her to Milo's daycare, since Dorota was on vacation. All in all, his loft was officially a disaster.

"Milo? Where are you, bear?" Dan stepped around piles of tulle and lace. Milo popped his head out from under a pile of tulle next to the couch, smiling. Dan laughed and laid face to face with him, with his stomach on the cold floor.

"It's time to get ready for our play day with Emilee," Dan smiled, poking Milo on the nose. It was a Saturday, February 11th, which meant that Blair's wedding was tomorrow. Dan still had to pick up his tux, since he was a part of the wedding party. He also had to show up to the bachelor's party later that night at the Empire, which meant he had to find a baby sitter for Milo. He'd figure that out later.

"Horsey ride!" Milo jumped up and straddled Dan's back, landing with a hard plop.

"Oof, wait, Milo that's not what I…okay, fine," Dan gave in, and propped himself on all fours, "You better hold on tight!" Dan pretended to buck, causing Milo to squeal and laugh. Dan crawled into the nursery, then dropped Milo off next to the dresser. Milo liked picking out his own clothes, so Dan tried to help him the best he could. Milo picked out a bright red onesie and some little baby jeans. Dan helped him get dressed, then took Milo into his room to pick out his clothes too. Milo picked out a pair of green khakis and an indigo sweater. Dan was starting to wonder if his son was hanging out with Jenny or Serena too much. Dan finished getting dressed when he heard the loft door.

"Hello? Humphreys?" Blair's heels clicked on the hardwood floors into the loft, whist holding the baby carrier with a fragile, one month old Emilee inside.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Dan came out, with Milo wrapped around his leg, giggling as Dan dragged him from the bedroom to the living room.

"Horrible. Nothing is done, my skin is breaking out, and I have to party tonight, when I really just want to be with Chuck and Emilee," Blair pouted, setting down Emilee and taking her shoes off. She slipped on some house slippers and tried hard not fall asleep standing up. Dan had been in her place before, with no sleep and a baby that would only sleep when you needed to get something done.

"Blair, I will skip the bachelor party tonight to watch Emilee. I haven't even found a baby sitter for Milo anyway, so it's no biggie," Dan offered, as he knelt down to give Emilee a proper "hello". She grabbed on to Dan's finger and he smiled, wishing Milo had stayed this small for just a tiny bit longer.

"You can't skip it; you're in the wedding party!" Blair exclaimed, as she continued to organize everything she needed for tomorrow.

"Okay, but you can't argue with who I choose as a sitter. Deal?" Dan stood back up and grabbed his jacket and Milo's jacket, getting ready for their day out.

"Whatever, Humphrey. Just keep me sane!" Blair threw her hands in the air over her mismatched tulle. Dan slid his jacket, hat, and gloves on, after getting Milo all bundled up and strapped into the stroller. He gently picked up Emilee (who was wrapped up like a warm, tiny burrito) and placed her into the baby backpack, then strapped it onto his chest. Blair started to tear up, feeling like a terrible mother these days. She watched the trio walk out the door, before returning to her planning. She promised herself she'd be better mom as soon as the wedding was over, because she couldn't take this heart breaking feeling anymore.

* * *

Dan realized on his walk across Brooklyn that he'd never need to work out ever again if he kept pushing Milo in a stroller and carrying Emilee on his chest. Emilee got hungry on the way to their first stop, so Dan grabbed a bottle that Blair had packed and held the end between his chest and chin, while Emilee went to town on the nipple side of it. They arrived at their first stop as Emilee finished her bottle, and Milo was definitely antsy to run around for a little bit. Dan knocked on the door, and Vanessa answered the door.

"Hey stranger, what brings you to my place?" Vanessa smiled, moving out of the way to let Dan schlep the children and their stuff into her studio apartment.

"Well, we were just in the neighborhood, and I have a few questions for you, and the first one is, can I burp Emilee while we talk?" Dan unstrapped Milo from the stroller and took all of his snow clothes off of him. Milo ran to Vanessa and hugged her leg, then went over to the small crate that held some toys that he played with while Dan and Vanessa studied. Dan usually came over a few times a week, since junior year was really starting to kick their butts.

"Yeah, absolutely. How'd you end up with the Chuck and Blair's baby?" Vanessa lifted Emilee out of the backpack, supporting her neck, and then cradled her while Dan unbuckled the baby backpack. He grabbed a rag out of the diaper bag, and the two found their way to the couch.

"She's stressing out about her wedding, and I'd prefer my head not be bit off, so I'm just letting her do what she needs to do. Speaking of her wedding, will you do me a huge favor?" Dan unwrapped Emilee, then burped her and bounced her gently on his knee.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Can you watch Milo and Emilee tonight for a few hours? I have an obligatory bachelor party, but I'm not getting smashed so I'll be able to come and bring these two home at like midnight? Maybe earlier?"

"Sure, Dan. But isn't Blair going to make a fit of it?" Vanessa started making her apartment a little more childproof.

"I told her I'd only go to Chuck's party as long as she didn't whine about the baby sitter I chose," Dan smirked, proud of himself.

"Clever, yet manipulative. Just like the Upper East Siders," Vanessa teased.

"Take that back!" Dan stood up and jokingly acted offended. Vanessa laughed as Dan tried to act all hoity-toity, and that made Dan laugh, "I have another question though,"

"Yes?" Vanessa breathed, still trying to get over her laughter.

"I know this is kind of last minute, but will you be my date to the wedding?"

"You don't have one, assigned via Queen B?"

"No, and I thought that we should enjoy a night out…even though I'll still be watching Milo, but maybe his grandparents can keep an eye on him for a while," Dan smirked again, giving Vanessa a look that made her blush and look away,"

"Uh, yeah, yeah I'll go," Vanessa wiped down her kitchen counter.

"Awesome. Well, we'll be back in a little bit, for now, we have to pick up some wedding stuff. See you at 6pm tonight? And 11am tomorrow?" Dan began to wrap the children back up to continue on their journey.

"It's a date. Two dates. Kind of, you get the idea," Vanessa tried to explain, but was still caught up on Dan's smile and his fatherly instincts towards not only Milo, but also Emilee.

"See you in a few!" Dan waved as the trio made their way toward the Upper East Side to continue the wedding madness. Dan was a little stressed out, but still melting over the girl he couldn't quite get a grip on his feelings for.

* * *

After stopping at Eleanor's and picking up his tux, Milo's tux, and Emilee's dress, and stopping at his work's kitchen to make sure everything was going to ready for tomorrow, especially the cake. Dan knew he didn't need to go to all these lengths, but the less stress on Blair, the better. Dan stopped at his loft to refill on diapers and snacks, so Vanessa wouldn't have to run out and buy any while he was out partying. Finding snacks Milo could eat was starting to get harder and harder; who knew that gelatin was in a lot of baby snacks? It was a good thing Milo loved fruit, otherwise Dan would be at a loss. Dan also grabbed about three more bottles from his fridge, since after tonight, Emilee would not be eating from her mother.

Dan double checked that he had everything Vanessa would need. After making his trek across Brooklyn and dropping the kids off, and giving Milo about a million hugs and kisses, he hailed a cab to take him to The Empire. On the drive there, Dan felt on edge. He never really left Milo with anyone so he could have fun; he just felt like it was a really irresponsible thing to do (even if he was almost twenty-one). Being a young dad was no easy task, but it was so worth it. Maybe Dan was over thinking his actions, but all of those cloudy thoughts disappeared as he pulled up to The Empire. He tipped the driver, and made his way up to the top of the building, where Chuck and Nate lived. Soon, it would be just Nate, as Chuck and Blair have a house in the Upper East Side. Dan knocked on the door, and Chuck answered.

"Daniel, glad you could make it. I presume you found a safe and reliable baby sitter for your son and my daughter?" Chuck shook his hand and led him inside, where there was a burlesque theme that had thrown up all over the apartment. Dan had never heard Chuck ever used the words safe and reliable in one sentence.

"Yes, I did, and I actually have to leave around 11:30 to go pick them up, so we all get some rest before tomorrow," Dan reassured Chuck.

"That's good to hear. And Blair left you with enough of Emilee's stuff right? If not, my room is right down the hall and it has some extra belongings," Chuck sounded anxious, which was a first for Dan. Maybe Chuck had changed, and maybe it was for the better.

"Yes, everything is all good. I still have all of Milo's stuff, so if she really needs anything, she's covered," Dan patted Chuck on the back. Chuck smirked at Dan and led him into where the real party would start. There was a stage in the middle of the living room, and Dan had been in the UES long enough to know what that meant. He sat down next to Nate, and Chuck took a seat on the other side of Nate. Everyone else in the room took their seats, ready for the show to start. It was about 8:30 by the time everyone settled in with their drinks. Dan grabbed a glass of gin, hoping that this show would go by fast. The lights went dark, and the girls came out onto the stage. Dan tried really hard to enjoy the show, but he felt so guilty for being there. At first, he thought it was because of Vanessa, even though they weren't together. He realized it was because of his baby. Being at a show like this felt like he was letting everyone down. Nate could tell something was off.

"You okay, Dan?" Nate nudged him.

"Am I a disappointment?" Dan blurted.

"Wait what? Why would you think that?" Nate turned toward him.

"I've just been getting praised for being a great dad, but I feel guilty about just being here and not with Milo. Going to work and school is one thing, but this feels really wrong," Dan furrowed his brow, worrying more with every word he spoke.

"Dan, when's the last time you went out without Milo?"

"Sometime in 2010, I think,"

"Yeah, and now it's 2012. So relax, you're going to see him later. This isn't a bad thing. You aren't married or dating, and you left him with a good baby sitter. Or at least better than me," Nate made Dan laugh at the memory of Nate and Chuck being "doctors" when Milo had pink eye. Now that he was loosened up, Dan finished his drink and sat back to enjoy the show.

* * *

Dan had arrived home just after midnight with the kids in tow. They all slept the best they could, but 8am came too soon. Dan had only had one drink, but he was still exhausted, since Emilee was still on her newborn schedule. He first woke up Milo, changed his diaper, and settled him in his high chair with a piece of toast and some apple slices. Once Milo was all set, he changed fed, and burped Emilee. Dan realized he still needed to shower, so he texted his dad and Lily to see if they wanted to spend a little time with the babies. While he waited for them to arrive, he got them dressed in their wedding clothes, but put a jacket over each of them so they couldn't ruin the outfit. Dan couldn't get over how handsome his son looked all dressed up and looking dapper. Lily and Rufus made their pit stop at the loft and Dan got showered and dressed as fast as he could. It was 10:30, and the wedding was going to start in half an hour. The group got into their town car that was waiting for them and arrived at the church. Dan greeted the other groomsmen and Nate, who was the best man. Serena saw Dan and quickly pulled him aside to give him a big hug.

"Wow, someone is very excited for their best friend to get married," Dan laughed, and hugged her back.

"Well I also got some amazing news a few days ago and Nate and I couldn't wait to share it!" Serena pointed to Nate, who was making their way over to their secret meeting spot.

"Wait, what? I'm so confused." Dan looked baffled.

"Well, we've talked about wanting children, but since I can't have kids, we filed to become foster parents," Serena looked a little sad, but got perky right away.

"And in a few weeks, these twins will be ours and if they click with us, we'll get to adopt them," Nate pulled out a picture of the twins, whose names were Dallas and Grace. According to the photo, they're 8 months old and very well behaved for a boy-girl duo.

"Wow, this is…that's amazing! We'll have to celebrate soon and have a play date soon," Dan hugged them once more, before rejoining the wedding party so the wedding could begin. Each groomsman walked in with their bridesmaid, Dan being the first so he could be at the very end of the line in case Milo got fussy. Nate and Serena were the last two to come down, stealing a quick kiss before the ring bearer and flower girl. Milo was pulling a small white wagon that was carrying Emilee and the rings. Milo threw some flower petals every once in a while, before parking the wagon at the altar, where Chuck thanked Milo with a hug and picked up Emilee so she could be a part of the special day. The crowd cooed the babies the entire time, and Dan smiled like the proud father he was. Milo ran over to his dad, realizing all eyes were on him (and he was in the shy phase now, so he was not a fan). Milo hid behind Dan's legs, grasping them tight. Dan patted him on the head, as the congregation turned toward the door to prepare for the bride to arrive. Her father and step father were looking around anxiously as the string quartet started. Dan realized they couldn't find the bride, and he looked at Chuck who was starting to sweat, especially since Emilee was starting to get fussy.

"Milo, go see Aunt Serena for a minute, okay?" Dan asked his son.

"Why Daddy?" Milo let go and looked up at Dan with big, brown eyes.

"Daddy's going to go find Aunt Blair," Dan led Milo over to Serena and whispered his plan in her ear. She nodded and sat down to play with Milo. Dan went over to Chuck, who looked like he was going to cry.

"I'm going to find Blair, but I'm going to bring Emilee with me, okay?" Dan explained as Chuck gently transferred Emilee to Dan. Chuck nodded, and Dan was off down the aisle without a single peep. As he left the altar, Gossip Girl sent out a blast. The entire congregation opened their phone's to read it.

Uh oh, it looked like the queen with a heart of ice now has some cold feet. Can Lonely Boy find her before Chuck takes some desperate measures? Maybe they'll never get their happily ever after, after all. XOXO

* * *

He went down into the bridesmaid's dressing room. He found a sobbing Blair, crumpled up on the couch. He also saw a frazzled Dorota, unsure of how to handle Miss Blair at this time. Dan approached Blair cautiously and sent Dorota out, but Emilee was now starting to sob, so his plan was a little off its track. Blair looked up to see one of her best friends and her precious daughter.

"I can't do this, Dan. I'm disappointing everyone I know, especially my daughter," Blair choked back tears. Dan felt a pain in his chest, as he had some déjà vu from last night about feeling like a disappointment.

"Blair, you are going to go out there and marry your king, and the only person you're disappointing is your daughter if she doesn't get fed soon," Dan handed Blair her daughter as she stood up.

"I don't have any more pre-pumped bottles…wait, Dan! Unzip me!" Blair exclaimed.

"Excuse me?" Dan looked worried.

"Just unzip my dress so I can feed my daughter!" Blair was back to her old self, which made Dan smile. He unzipped her dress half way down, so she could still wear her dress on one side.

"Are you ready now?" Dan asked, heading for the door.

"I am, but Emilee isn't!" Blair started to worry. She couldn't walk down the aisle with one of her breasts hanging out.

"Here!" Dan found some left over organza draped over the vanity mirror. He draped it over Blair's shoulder over her chest and Emilee, making sure it wasn't see-through. Blair smiled and gave Dan half of a hug before they headed upstairs to the wedding. Dan walked back into the chapel, and got halfway down the aisle when Milo ran down the aisle and yelled "Daddy!" Dan caught him before he could slam into his legs, and scooped him into a hug. The two resumed their position at the end of the lineup of groomsmen. Serena stood up, and the congregation stood up as Blair entered the room, still breastfeeding. Her two fathers followed behind her, since her hands were full. Chuck smiled, beyond proud of his almost wife. The ceremony went on, and Emilee unlatched halfway through the vows. Serena helped zip her up, while Blair read her vows and handed Emilee over to Chuck. Blair dropped the organza off her shoulder once she was situated, and everyone finally got to see her beautiful dress. The dynamic duo said their "I dos" and kissed, causing the congregation to erupt in cheers and applause, as Chuck dipped his new wife and daughter in their first kiss as husband, wife, and daughter; one happy family. Dan caught Vanessa's eye as the wedding party walked out, and then wondered if he'd ever experience what Chuck and Blair just did.

* * *

The reception started out as an elegant affair, but it turned into a real dance party after dinner. "Come On, Eileen" was playing, and Dan was holding Milo on his hip as he rocked him forward and backwards, like a fast swing dance. Milo was giggling uncontrollably as Dan would dip him upside down and spin around. There was also a "Mommy and Me" dance for all the mom's and daughters in the room. Dan stood on the sidelines with Milo standing on his feet. Blair waltzed over to him, rocking Emilee in her arms.

"Dan, please bring Milo out on the floor and dance with us," Blair begged.

"Ah, I can't do that, Blair. It's a Mommy and Me dance, and we don't want to intrude," Dan tried to find a way to excuse himself.

"Please, Dan? Milo looks pretty antsy," Blair teased.

"Dance Daddy, dance! Please, daddy?" Milo jumped up and down on Dan's shoes and then looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, okay. We'll dance," Dan walked onto the dance floor with Milo on his feet. He held Milo's hands to keep him steady. The two sets of parents danced to "Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee. Milo loved his slow dance with his dad, and he kept looking up at him. Dan finally picked Milo up, since he looked like he had something to say.

"What's up, Milo?" Dan propped Milo up on his hip.

"Sleepy," Milo dropped his head onto Dan's shoulder, and his eyes began to flutter shut. The song ended and another slow song came on, for Chuck and Blair's first dance. Dan carried Milo off the dance floor to watch the newlyweds. Dan heard some light snoring and looked over at the sleeping baby on his shoulder. Vanessa walked over to the boys and smiled.

"Wow, he didn't even make it to cake time? That's his favorite part!" Vanessa rubbed Milo's back.

"Yeah, I know, I think we're going to head home. Come back to the loft with us?" Dan asked, hoping she would say yes. Dan was upset that he and Vanessa couldn't dance together, but his son came first and would always come first in his life.

"Yeah, sure. I'll get our coats," Vanessa smiled excitedly. The three took a cab back to Brooklyn, and the city was surprisingly quiet. It may be February, but the city just seemed slow. They quietly entered the loft and Dan gave Vanessa the "one minute" finger and took Milo into the nursery. Dan tried to change his diaper and put him in some footie pajamas, before placing him in his crib and kissing him on the forehead. Dan returned to the living room, closing Milo's door to a crack, and smiled at Vanessa.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Dan awkwardly put his hands into his pockets, not sure of what to say.

"Yeah! I love watching you and Milo; it just melts my heart," Vanessa gushed.

"Yeah, me too. I mean, spending time with Milo, not watching us…yeah, I'm just going to turn the radio on now," Dan shuffled into the kitchen and switched the radio on "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder was softly flowing through the room. Dan rolled up his sleeves and walked over to Vanessa. He pressed his forehead against hers, then backed up.

"Care to dance?" Dan held out his hand. Vanessa gladly accepted and the two slow danced. They were holding each other close and as the song came to an end, they made their way into Dan's room. They undressed and laid under the covers, slowly drifting to sleep. Before they completely dozed off, Dan kissed Vanessa gently on the lips. She kissed back, and the two drifted off, just like the snow falling outside onto the sidewalks. Dan wondered if it could get any better than this, but he didn't want to ruin the feelings he had right now. He stopped wondering and pulled Vanessa closer, hoping the feeling would ever end.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow. I'm speechless at all the kind reviews and story follows. I started writing this, because I didn't like the how they handled the whole Milo situation with Dan and since I couldn't find any fanfictions written to the way I wanted it to end, I decided to write my own. I never thought in a million years that anyone would read this or even review it! Share this with your friends if you want, if not, just enjoy it for yourself. My heart is full of love and happiness either way :)**

 **With that being said, I have some minor edits I made to some chapter prior to writing this. The first is in Chapter 2, where I said that Dan was twenty. According to cannon, he's actually nineteen, so I changed that for y'all. The other correction was in Chapter 4, where I said Milo's birthday was July 11th. I didn't realized they assigned Milo a real birthday, which is actually July 7th, 2010. I promptly changed that as well. I apologize for any inconveniences these errors with cannon could have caused.**

 **Thank you times a million, and keep checking every Sunday for a new chapter! XOXO-CK**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Oh, the Terrible Twos!

24 months/2 years

Dan didn't know what had happened to his son, but the minute he turned two, he also turned into the biggest thorn in his side. He was saying words he shouldn't even know about, getting into different drawers and cabinets that he normally never touched. At first, Dan thought he was just doing it to get a rise out of Dan, but now it was May, and Dan was really stressing over graduation and finals. And Milo was driving Dan absolutely mad, even if he was still the cute, sweet son Dan remembered. Everyone prayed for Dan's sake, that Milo wasn't predicting his teenage years.

This morning, Milo got a kick out of spraying Dan's shaving cream while he was shaving, since he wasn't allowed to play in the living room while Dan got ready; Milo tended to get into more things, like Dan's homework, when Dan didn't keep a super close eye on him. He also refused to eat his Cheerios, and instead tried to eat Dan's yogurt bites, which of course had gelatin in it. Dan stopped that deadly action real quick.

"Milo, keep your pants on!" Dan begged for about the one thousandth time that morning.

"No, Daddy! Nakey!" Milo started trying for his diaper, but started running when Dan walked his way. Dan picked him up along with the discarded pants.

"Alright, that's enough. I'm late for school, and so are you," Dan held Milo with one arm as he squirmed around and put the pants back on his son. He snapped them on backwards this time, that way Milo couldn't get them off this time. Milo started to whine and whimper, but Dan knew he was just doing it for attention. He put Milo in the stroller and made a run for class, which he was now two minutes late for. When do the two's stop being terrible, Dan wondered, as Milo tried to unbuckle himself, and older parents gave him judgmental stares.

* * *

Dan made it to class, albeit 15 minutes late to his last three hour lecture. He realized there was a shaving cream stain on his shirt from Milo, and it looked like he was hung over; that was from Milo refusing to stay in his room and waking up Dan multiple times during the night. He was glad to see Vanessa, as well was the extra-large black coffee she brought him. It was hard to avoid the stares from the class, since it was 1/5 of the entire senior population at NYU. He quietly slid into his seat and pulled his laptop out of his messenger bag, which was sticky with apple juice fingerprints. Dan sighed, louder than he thought, before shaking his head and sinking into his seat.

"Mr. Humphrey, is there anything you'd like to share during our last meeting?" Professor Roth asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Don't have kids if you value your belongings," Dan sighed again and looked around. The class laughed in agreement, and Dr. Roth smirked. Vanessa laughed a little, but was still concerned for her best friend. She hadn't seen him this stressed out since Georgina abandoned him with Milo. She opened her mouth to ask him a question, but figured he'd rather be listening to the lecture.

"That's actually a good segue into our final topic: Where do you see yourself in ten years?" Dr. Roth posed the question. The class ooed, before opening their notebooks to complete the task. Dan opened his notebook and had his pen in his hand, but no words flowed onto the page. Instead of looking forward, all his mind would do was look back. Five years ago, he was seventeen, when he was just barely getting pulled into the Upper East Side and when he thought he was still going to Yale. He still loved Serena, even if they had a rocky relationship, and Jenny was still a part of the family of three. Milo wasn't even a thought, and Dan definitely never thought he'd be parenting an adorable, dark eyed, curly haired son that wasn't biologically his. But now, Dan couldn't imagine life without Milo. All of the nights Dan got up to change diapers, all of the subway rides with the baby backpack and stroller, even this terrible two phase of his. Dan remembered one particular night where he and Milo went for a late night walk to look at the stars. As Milo's eyes filled with wonder, Dan couldn't believe that beings as precious and innocent as Milo even existed. Dan still smiled at that memory, even as he heard Dr. Roth's voice.

"Mr. Humphrey, since your adulthood started in a way that you didn't expect, would you like to tell us where you see yourself in ten years?" Dr. Roth settled into the desk chair, preparing to grade each entry. Dan stood up to speak to his peers, a little fearful, but proud of what he had to say.

"I apologize for not writing my conclusion out for the class, as my brain would only settle for reminiscing on the past and how far my life has come. Without my past, I would have no idea how to even predict a possible outcome for my future. Ten years from now, I hope to be an editor and author, I don't care where I work, as long as I'm happy and stable. My son, Milo, will be twelve, and I hope he is nothing like he's acting at age two. I hope he's going to be passing middle school and maybe catching the eye of a lucky girl or guy. I'd also like for us to still be in Brooklyn. As for love, I hope to be married, and maybe I'll have more kids, but like I said, the terrible twos are a real epidemic. I don't know, those are just hopes to fulfill this grade. I really just want fate to take me where it wants to take me," Dan announced, before returning to his seated position. His classmates chuckled during his comments about his son's current state, but were impressed by his maturity.

"Well said, Mr. Humphrey, and I can promise you that the minute Milo turns three, he'll be back to his cheerful self. Thank you for your contribution," Dr. Roth concluded with a smile. Dan smiled back and turned to look at Vanessa. Her eyes were extra bright, as she leaned over to give him half of a hug. Dan settled in to finish the lecture, but that didn't last long when his phone rang. He quietly answered in his seat, so not as to disturb the class.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi, is this Dan Humphrey?" an older sounding voice carried over into his ears.

"Speaking," Dan was beginning to get worried.

"Hi, Mr. Humphrey, this is Carolyn over at Happy Hand Daycare. On behalf of the staff, we'd like to have you come and pick up your son, Milo," she sounded mildly upset and nervous.

"Is everything okay? Is he hurt?" Dan started to quietly gather his belongings.

"Milo is just fine, but he's hurting the other kids. So far, he's bitten three other kids and we just can't have him harming his friends,"

"Absolutely, I agree. I'll be there as soon as I can," Dan hung up and stood up to leave. Vanessa looked at him, obviously concerned about Milo. Dan mouthed "biting" to her, and she slid back in her seat and rubbed the bridge of her nose. He tried to slip out quietly, but Dr. Roth knew better.

"Leaving so soon, when you arrived so late?" Dr. Roth pestered Dan, while holding a paper out toward him.

"Only because Milo can't keep his teeth to himself," Dan took the paper and shook Dr. Roth's hand. Dan thanked his professor, and left swiftly. His moment of joy faded as he remembered Milo's poor behavior, prompted by a blast from Gossip Girl.

Showing your teeth is a good way to indicate your feelings to another person, but it seems that Lonely Boy 2.0 has taken that to a whole new level by biting his classmates. It also seems that V has a new mark on her neck. As they say, like father, like son! XOXO

* * *

Dan arrived to the daycare promptly, seething in frustration. He melted his attitude a little when he saw Milo sitting by himself in the cubby room, with his backpack on and his head hanging low. Dan wanted to give in and give him the biggest hug possible, but he knew that Milo would never understand right and wrong if he did that.

Milo looked up at his dad when he heard him greet his teacher. They shook hands and talked quietly, so low that Milo could only try to read their lips. He put his head back down and just waited as patiently as his little body could handle.

"Milo," Dan snapped his little bear out of his thoughts. Milo looked up at him with his big, round eyes, "Let's go to Vanessa's okay? Thank you again, Carolyn."

Dan walked over to Milo and held his hand as he stood up. His head still hung low, even after Dan got him situated in the stroller. They walked a little ways through Brooklyn before Milo broke the silence.

"Daddy?" he peered around the hood of the stroller at Dan.

"Yes?" Dan responded, peering down for a second, before returning his gaze to the side walk ahead of him, so not as to run into other pedestrians.

"They took my toy. I bite them," Milo explained, sinking back into the stroller.

"I know, Milo. But, biting your friends will not help you; it will only make the situation worse," Dan flared his nostrils, before turning into Vanessa's apartment building and pushing the stroller into the elevator, "Next time, use your polite words or ask a teacher for help,"

Milo nodded at Dan as he pushed the stroller up to Vanessa's door and knocked. She answered almost instantly, as if she was anxiously waiting for him. She opened the door and kissed Dan. He kissed back, smiling as he pulled away. They had been dating for a solid 6 months now, making it official the day after the Waldorf-Bass wedding. Even when he felt like his world was falling apart, she could always make it better. Plus, Milo loved her almost as much as he loved his daddy. Dan relaxed as he pushed the stroller into the living room. Maybe his studying would go smoother than he thought.

* * *

Dan was wrong, so terribly wrong. He had hoped after their heart-to-heart, Milo would tone it down a bit. But after refusing his afternoon nap and getting restless, Dan was starting to really lose his cool. Vanessa was worried that he'd say something he'd regret, but she knew he'd never get violent, especially with Milo. She gave Dan a kiss on the forehead, before making a short trip to the bathroom.

Dan pulled out his senior thesis' cover page and set it on the coffee table, next to his highlighters. Dan turned his head as he heard a car honk outside the window. When he turned around, he noticed the missing paper. He peered over the coffee table to see Milo going to town on his expensively printed title page.

"Milo, that's not a coloring page. Please give it back," Dan grabbed one end, but Milo grabbed the other side back and started to pull on it.

"No Daddy! Color!" Milo protested, using all his body strength to pull back, thus ripping the page in half.

"Milo, knock it off!" Dan raised his voice and collected the torn pieces off the floor. Milo's face started turning red as he burst into tears and began wailing. Dan sat back down onto the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Vanessa came out of the bathroom at the sound of Milo screeching.

"Hey, what's wrong, little bear?" Vanessa stood on the other side of the room.

"Daddy no love me!" Milo ran into Vanessa legs and sniffled, hiding from his dad. Vanessa looked at Dan and the torn cover page on the table. She cocked her head and sighed at Dan.

"Hey, let's go read a story in my room and just relax, okay?" Milo nodded and grabbed his bear blanket from the floor. The tears had ceased and all that remained were red marks on his cheeks. He held Vanessa's hand as she led him into her room and shut her door to a crack. Dan finished his senior thesis paper, feeling guilty with every word he typed. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. He rummaged around the drawers before finding some clear tape. He settled back into the couch, starting on the repair of his cover page. Vanessa returned and put her finger to her mouth in a shushing motion.

"I got him down to nap, even if it's only for fifteen minutes. Now tell me Dan, what in the world happened?" Vanessa set her hand on his knee, concern in her eyes. Dan recounted what had happened, and she completely understood. Dan finished taping the cover page together, finding the endearing scribbles and haphazard ripping really appropriate for the thesis' title. Vanessa did hers on African Americans in film culture, and Dan did his on the correlation of speech patterns in children. To celebrate, the couple decided to take their own nap, snuggling close on the couch while a cheesy 80s teen movie played on the TV. Dan woke up about half an hour later to Milo tugging on his shirt. Dan sat up, realizing that it was time to head home and make dinner. Milo pulled Dan into a big hug and a kiss, as big as his little body would allow.

"I sorry, Daddy. I love you," Milo explained to his dad in his two year old jargon.

"I love you too, Milo," Dan returned the gesture with a happy heart, "Look at what daddy did. He taped his cover back together and wants to use your drawing for his paper. Can I use it?" Milo nodded with his big, heavy head and Dan chuckled. Vanessa woke up to the sound of her two favorite boys, and sat up.

"I'm glad to see you two getting along again," Vanessa smiled in relief.

"Me too, Ness. You ready to go, Milo?"

"Mac 'n cheese!" Milo threw his hands in the air, before Dan picked him up. Dan couldn't imagine his life getting any better than this.

* * *

After handing in their final theses, Dan and Vanessa were sitting in Yankee Stadium, awaiting to hear their names called so they could go up and receive their diplomas. Dr. Roth laughed and gave Dan a hearty hug when he saw the cover and title of the paper. Dan gave all the credit to Milo, who gave Dr. Roth a big hug as well.

Now, sitting on the field of grass in a black cap and gown, Dan shielded his eyes from the bright, summer sun and looked around to see who was supporting him. He saw Rufus and Lily, with Jenny hugging onto their dad's arm, trying to hold back obvious, proud tears. On Lily's side, he saw Serena and Nate, each holding one of their 14 month old babies. Next to Nate, he saw Chuck holding 7 month old Emilee, and Blair holding her 5 months pregnant tummy with one hand, and fanning herself with the other. Dan surveyed the area more, but couldn't find Milo or his mom. He became worried, wondering if they were late or in trouble. He snapped out of it when he heard his name called, so he could receive his diploma. He stood up and shuffled out of his seat and made his way to the stage. Before he even took one step onto the stage, he heard his favorite little voice from behind him. He turned to see Milo running toward him. Dan crouched down, smiling as he enveloped his son in a big hug, and saw his mom in the dugout, wiping tears from her smiling face. Dan picked Milo up and carried him on stage, as the crowd cheered for the duo. Dan shook the officials' hands, took his diploma, and returned to his seat all of this still feeling unreal. Milo held Dan's diploma and looked at it with a furrowed brow.

"This yours, daddy?" Milo looked up at his dad.

"And yours. We did this together," Dan set the diploma on the ground under seat, and snuggled with his little bear. He was beyond proud of where both of them had come, and couldn't wait to see where there life would take them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Wicked Bitch of West Russia

3 years old

Hey there, Upper East Siders, I'd like to send out a BOLO. Lonely Boy and his little son have been AWOL for about four days now, and no one can get in contact with them, not even V. Have they fled from their past, or are they running from their future. Either way, you know how to reach me if you spot them. XOXO

* * *

No one had seen or heard from Dan or Milo in days. Dan had called out from the catering company ahead of time, and he had missed a big interview with _Harper's Bazaar_ , as an editorial writer. The loft was locked up and no one answered the door when knocked upon. Dan's friends were starting to get more than just worried.

"Okay, but where could Dan just disappear to?" Serena asked, as the friends had met at Chuck and Blair's to do some sleuthing.

"Well, you would know best. You used to disappear all the time to random places, why and where did he go?" Blair shot back with her signature sarcastic smirk. Serena scowled and gave her a dirty look.

"Okay, okay, settle down. What kind of situation could have caused Dan to just…run off with Milo?" Nate proposed.

"He could have been worried about not being able to get his works published and provide for Milo?" Serena offered.

"Yeah, but he still cater waiters," Vanessa waltzed into the room. Everyone glared at her, still not quite accepting her into the Upper East Side, "Listen, he's my boyfriend and I believe that I have every right to help find him."

"Okay then, when's the last time you talked to him?" Blair turned and scowled toward Vanessa.

"Four days ago, we were supposed to hang out, but Dan said he had to go grocery shopping instead. I went along with him and he looked like he was shopping for a weeks' worth of food. Milo seemed okay, but Dan seemed paranoid," Vanessa recalled.

"So that means he wouldn't be going anywhere unless it was completely remote,"

"But his cell phone is still pinging off of a couple of towers," Chuck peered up from the laptop he was scrolling on. Everyone turned to look at Chuck, confused.

"How did you get cell phone ping software? I thought only cell service providers and the police had those!" Nate peered over at his best friend.

"I have friends in high places," Chuck sneered.

"Okay, where is it pinging from?" Blair went over and leaned over Chuck, rubbing his back.

"Well, it appears he left his apartment earlier this morning and he's texting a European phone number?" Chuck pondered.

"But where is he headed?" Vanessa asked.

"The New York Family Court," Chuck printed out a screen shot of the map that was following Dan's phone.

"Oh my God," Serena stood up, "That's where they do adoptions and custody battles, that's where we adopted the twins,"

"Okay, and your point?" Blair crossed her arms.

"Georgina is back and trying to get full custody of Milo!" Serena exclaimed, causing everyone to scramble for their jackets.

"Oh my God, Dorota! Watch the kids, we've got some mom-busting to do!" the group squeezed into the elevator.

"Yes, Miss Blair!" Dorota peeked her head in the doorway whilst giving 2 month old Henry a bottle.

The Upper East Siders knew they had to help Dan, because if he lost Milo, things would not end well. Milo was Dan's everything, and before Milo was born, Dan was happy, but not as happy as he is now. The group said a silent prayers as they ran across Manhattan, hoping they weren't too late.

* * *

The crew all squeezed into the lobby of the court house, and peered at the room assignments on the board on the way. They read "D. Humphrey G. Sparks Room 304", and promptly ran up the marble stairs. They read all the door numbers aloud before Chuck body slammed into the correct room. The group poured into the room filled with hope, but what they saw drained them of that hope. Dan was dressed in his best suit, sitting in an arm chair with his head in his hands, sobbing. Georgina had a sinister smile on as Milo tried to slither out of her arms.

"Daddy!" Milo wailed and cried as he reached out for Dan. Dan looked up, and turned to see his friends. He stood up and waltzed over to them, trying hard not to begin sobbing again.

"What the hell is going on?!" Blair exclaimed over the noise. Serena ripped Milo out of Georgina's arms, and he clung to his aunt for dear life. Georgina scowled and crossed her arms.

"Well, I know it's been three years since I've seen all of your lovely faces, but I missed all of you, especially my son," Georgina approached Milo with her arms out. Milo practically jumped for Nate, who was two feet away from Georgina. Nate caught him, and backed up into the wall.

"You can't just have custody of Milo, that's not how the law works," Vanessa pointed at Georgina, who just laughed in her face.

"But you know, the funny thing is, I can just get my custody of Milo. Custody was never filed for when I disappeared and started a new life in Russia, because you all thought I was just missing. And Dan isn't the biological father, but I'm the biological mother, so this baby is mine. And we have a flight to catch to Russia, so I'll see all of you never," Georgina scowled, before ripping Milo out of Nate's arms, which prompted the wailing. Vanessa looked over at Dan, who was staring at his shoes, tears dropping off of his face as he pushed on the bridge of his nose.

"Dan, why aren't you doing anything?" Vanessa asked him, prompting him to look up.

"There's nothing I can do; I have no blood relation to Milo," Dan shrugged in defeat, "I've been fighting this case for a week now, and the judge couldn't find sufficient evidence to convince him that I should keep Milo,"

"Alright, this is ridiculous," Blair shouted over the noise. She opened the door, where she saw the judge texting someone. She dragged him back into the room, before taking Milo away and handing him to Chuck, who was as far away from Georgina as she could get him. Milo laid his head on his uncle, and Chuck rubbed Milo's back and head.

"Alright, Judge…whatever your name is. I demand a re-trial of this custody battle, due to insufficient evidence and lack of proper jury. This case is so much deeper than what was presented to you. If not provided with what we're asking for, I will bring not only my step father Cyrus Rose into the case, but his entire team of lawyers. Do I make myself clear?" Blair demanded, as everyone stood behind her.

"Fine, the case remains unsettled and will resume tomorrow at 9am sharp, and will be done by 1pm tomorrow afternoon. After tomorrow, however, once the case is settled, we will never open it again," the judge shuddered in fear, before exiting the room. Everyone silently celebrated, and Dan's face lit up at the second chance he was being handed. Georgina scowled and reached for Milo yet again, but Chuck backed up and stuck his hand out.

"Stay away from him, home wrecker," Chuck gave her a furrowed brow, remembering how mentally insane she was.

"Fine, you can keep him for tonight, but come tomorrow, you'll never see us again. Happy hunting!" Georgina perked up, before grabbing her purse and exiting the room with vengeance. The group breathed a sigh of relief, and Dan and Vanessa hugged. After seeing Georgina leave, Milo started lunging for Dan. Chuck happily obliged, handing him to Dan. It felt as if the group had lost all of their oxygen, as they'd never seen that much love between a father and son. Dan and Milo held onto each other tightly, both worried for if they'd ever have to separate again. Blair snapped a pic, and texted it to her printer so it'd be ready for her when she got home. The crew finished their breath of relief, before returning to their mission. They had a lot of work to get done, and not a lot of time.

* * *

"Alright, first things first…what does everyone like on their pizza, because we're gonna be here for a while," Serena started their meeting. They had filled an entire wall with a poster board to be crafted into a timeline. Everyone was on their laptops searching for evidence. Dan, Vanessa, and Blair were looking for photos, Chuck was looking for news clippings and public archives and Nate was looking for medical records (with Dan's assistance and permission). Serena was in charge of gluing and labeling the timeline. It started from the forged paternity test and the signed birth certificate, and ended with the photo from that afternoon. Dorota was periodically running Henry in to have Blair breastfeed him, and she also brought multiple lattes and black coffees. Although this plan would be going faster if Milo wasn't sitting on Dan's lap, everyone agreed not to separate them, in case their plan didn't work. Dan looked over at Vanessa, who was starting to look more and more stressed out by the minute.

"Are you okay?" Dan asked, peering over at her.

"Uhh yeah, yeah everything is fine," Vanessa refocused on the photos she was pulling from Facebook. She was assigned year two, whilst Dan had year one, and Blair had year three/current, and whatever random extras she could find. Dan knew she wasn't okay, but knew better than to ask.

"Hey, I found the medical file from Milo's first birthday," Nate looked up.

"And I found the police log for it," Chuck added, as they printed the file simultaneously. Serena took her black sharpie and marked "1 year old" on the timeline, then glued the police log and medical file above it. Dan handed her the pictures Blair had taken from that day, before pulling up the video of him and Milo dancing, while Milo was taking a bath. Everyone turned to look at it, awing at how little Milo was. Dan looked down to see a drooling toddler slumped on his arm while fast asleep. Dorota brought the pizzas in, the clock now reading 10pm. She gently picked up Milo, to bring him into the nursery where all the other babies were sleeping.

"Hey Dan?" Serena asked, gluing the transcript of Dan's daycare interview and application to the timeline.

"What's up?" Dan peered over at her.

"Well…umm, what are you going to do if you lose Milo? I hate to be the damper on this sleuthing party we're enjoying, but I think that we really need to talk it through, just in case Georgina schemes her way into this,"

"I honestly don't know…the scare we had today was enough to send me into a downward spiral. I can't imagine life without him, and I can't even picture having any more kids after him, because he's just filled any part of me that was ever missing," Dan took a sip of his coffee, the sadness and tiredness settling in.

"Oh, so you'd never even have kids with your future partner?" Vanessa burned him.

"What? No, I just said I can't picture it. I never said that I'd never have kids again. Are you sure you're okay?" Dan was now beyond worried for what this case was going to bring, even if Vanessa was suddenly having an attitude about it.

"Okay, love birds, settle down. Dan, just relax and think good thoughts, and we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Nate reassured them.

"I have just one question for you, Daniel," Chuck pondered, as he forwarded a copy of the missing person's report for Georgina to Nate, "Why did you keep this a secret from us? Why wouldn't you let us help you?"

"Probably, because of all your Upper East Side schemes and nonsense, like this whole ordeal we have going for us," Vanessa snapped.

"Whoa whoa whoa, okay first off, I didn't tell anyone, because I didn't want Georgina to ruin any of your families and put any of you into to danger. Second, Vanessa, I think we need to have a chat," Dan set his laptop on the coffee table and stood up from his seated position on the floor. What in the world was going on?

* * *

Dan and Vanessa went out onto the balcony that faced Upper West Side, and peered out over the city. Tension filled the air around them, until it finally forced them to speak.

"Is there something wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Dan tried not to get angry at Vanessa.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Vanessa looked at him, filled with hurt.

"I didn't want to put you into any danger, plus this was something I had to do on my own,"

"But why did the UES have to get involved and create some elaborate plan to get Milo back? Why not just get a lawyer?"

"Vanessa, they aren't just the UES, these people are my family, through the law, but family nonetheless. They've helped with Milo just as much as you have, and they've supported me too," Dan clarified, but that still wasn't enough for Vanessa.

"I'm leaving. I got the filming job in Portugal, and I almost turned it down to stay with you. But now I'm glad I didn't, because I can't deal with all this scheming and lying. Dan, you're just as bad as them,"

"For trying to keep everyone safe, and trying to keep my son? Yeah, I'm a real villain, for keeping you safe from a lunatic who escaped to Russia to be a home wrecker! Georgina could have gotten the Russian army involved, including Serge and he wouldn't have just gone after me; he would have hurt all of you, even killed you!" Dan threw his arms in the air, exasperated.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, you're only having one kid. More than that is just too much," Vanessa shot at him.

"Vanessa, I just don't know if I want anymore, at least not until later in life! I'm still young! Let me live my life! You may be around Milo a lot, but you weren't there when he was colicky and you weren't there when he had bad dreams. Milo will always come first in my life, and I'm not ready to share those feelings with another kid,"

"He's not even your son," Vanessa turned and exited the balcony to go back into the house and leave. Those five words hit Dan like a ton of bricks as he padded back into the living room where his friends-no, his family- were ferociously typing away, looking for more evidence.

"Everything okay?" Serena turned to look at Dan, as he settled back into his spot.

"I'm okay. Come on, we've got more evidence to find," Dan smiled, but inside he was hurting. He didn't even know if he and Vanessa were broken up; what he did know was that he had to keep his son with him, or else he'd never be the same way he was now.

* * *

The morning came quicker than anyone could have hoped for, since none of the Upper East Siders and Dan had slept. They worked well into the early morning, occasionally having coffee delivered. Dan got dressed in a different suit, courtesy of Chuck, and he got Milo dressed up nicely as well.

"Daddy," Milo whimpered, as he was scared for the court case as much as his dad was (even if he had no idea what was going on).

"Yes, little bear?" Dan snapped on Milo's tie, then straightened it.

"I don't want to go with scary lady. She not my mommy,"

"I know, Milo. I don't want you to go either,"

"I don't need mommy, I just need daddy. I love you most," Milo wrapped his arms around Dan's neck in a big hug, refusing to let go.

"I love you too, Milo Randolph," Dan hugged him back, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Dan picked Milo up, still hugging him, and the group went down to where their town cars were waiting. The group made their way back to the court house, but this time, they were in a real court room with a jury, and not just with the judge. They met up with Cyrus, all of them giving him big hugs and giving him a quick review of the timeline before taking their seats.

"All rise. The court is now in session," the bailiff called. Dan began to get nervous, but remained calm.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of Daniel Randolph Humphrey versus Georgina Sparks, over the custody of their son Milo Randolph Humphrey. Are both sides ready?"

"Ready for Ms. Sparks, your honor," Georgina's attorney announced.

"Ready for Mr. Humphrey, your honor," Cyrus called back.

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Wicked Bitch of West Russia (Continued)

3 years old

* * *

PREVIOUSLY

 _"_ _Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of Daniel Randolph Humphrey versus Georgina Sparks, over the custody of their son Milo Randolph Humphrey. Are both sides ready?"_

 _"_ _Ready for Ms. Sparks, your honor," Georgina's attorney announced._

 _"_ _Ready for Mr. Humphrey, your honor," Cyrus called back._

* * *

"Will the plaintiff please take the stand?" the judge ordered. Georgina's attorney stood up and walked over to the stand to begin his opening statement.

"People of the jury, I present to you an unorthodox custody case between my client and Mr. Daniel Humphrey, in which a man who is not even the father of the child, was raising him for the past three years of his life. He has brain washed the child into thinking that he is really his dad, when he shares no bloodline relation to this child. Is that not sick? Is that not equivalent to kidnapping? Jury, it's up to you to decide," the attorney gave Dan a smirk. Dan looked behind him at his friends, who were appalled at the attorney's lying words. Blair was covering Milo's ears so that he wouldn't hear anything he wasn't ready to hear. Yes, Dan was left with Milo with no blood relation, but Georgina was the one who left them.

"The plaintiff would like to Daniel Humphrey to the stand," he called. Dan stood up and found his way to his seat on the stand.

"Mr. Humphrey, you have been taking care of Milo for three years now, correct?" the attorney asked, ready to try to ruin Dan's life.

"Correct," Dan was ready to get feisty.

"Did you get Ms. Sparks written permission in the form of custody?"

"No sir,"

"And why was permission not obtained?"

"She ran away on a "spa trip", which was actually a trip Russia, and left me with Milo. There was no way to obtain permission from someone who had no wish to be found, especially because her cell phone that was from the United States was shut off," Dan shot back. Georgina's attorney looked phased, as if Georgina hadn't told him this information. His jaw dropped, as if to speak, Georgina silently beckoning him to ask another question.

"No further questions, your honor," the attorney stammered. Dan was shocked, figuring that Georgina would have coached him better than this. Dan returned to his seat, feeling slightly relieved. He didn't let his guard come down though, because the worst of it was going to start.

"Daddy!" Milo whisper-yelled at Dan. Dan turned around to see Milo sitting on Blair's lap, as the friends were taking up an entire row. Milo waved excitedly at him, and Dan smiled and waved back.

"Milo!" Georgina got his attention. Milo looked over at his biological mother with a pout on his face. She waved and blew a kiss, which caused Milo to turn his back toward her. Serena stifled her laughter as the rest of the UES crew just smirked. Georgina looked offended, before turning back toward the judge.

"It's the defendant's turn to take the stand," the judge announced. Cyrus stood up, gave Dan a reassuring smile and a wink. His short stature made Georgina laugh and snort, before regaining her composure.

"Your honor and the people of the jury, while this case isn't a normal one, it tugs at the heart strings nonetheless. As my client has recalled, Ms. Spark disappeared only 3 months into her son's life, leaving Mr. Humphrey with only two choices, since Ms. Sparks was unreachable: either orphan the child into foster care, or raise him as his own son. I personally think that my client did one of the most selfless and brave actions that any person could have performed, especially since my client was only nineteen years old. With that being said, I believe that my client, Mr. Daniel Humphrey, is the only person capable of raising the child in question. The defendant would like to call Ms. Georgina Sparks to the stand for questioning," Cyrus announced, tugging at the crowd's heart. Georgina waltzed up to the stand and took a seat.

"Ms. Sparks, you gave birth to Milo Randolph Humphrey on July 7th, 2010, correct?" Cyrus began his questioning.

"Correct,"

"And you performed a paternity test that proved that Mr. Humphrey was the father?" Cyrus handed the birth certificate and paternity test to the judge, so he could examine them.

"Yes, but it was forged. I took the real father's DNA and ran it as Mr. Humphrey's DNA, so that Mr. Humphrey would sign the birth certificate," Georgina started to look nervous, realizing how crazy her plan was sounded.

"So Mr. Humphrey is the legal father, even if the paternity test is supposedly forged,"

"That's-that's correct," Georgina started to look pale, knowing that this case wasn't going to go her way. The Upper East Siders had to contain their laughter at how mediocre she sounded, believing that this case was going to go their way.

"To clarify: there is no blood relation between my client and the child in question, but legally, my client is the father of this child?"

"Correct," Georgina furrowed her brow.

"The actual father of this child, what's he like?"

"I object, your honor! What does this have to do with my client and this case?" Georgina's attorney shuffled through his papers, looking for something to save his case.

"Well, we should know what the child will be experiencing in Russia, shouldn't we? Continue, Mr. Rose," the judge clarified and nodded at Cyrus.

"He's, um a very nice guy, his name is Serge," Georgina skirted around the question.

"Does he have any other kids or family?"

"He has a wife and three other children,"

"So you committed adultery with him, and that's where Milo came along?" Cyrus smirked. The jury and crowd gasped at this statement, and the UES silently celebrated behind Dan. Dan, however, remained stone-faced, not willing to give up what he felt until he had a definite answer to whether or not he would keep Milo.

"Yes," Georgina sighed, starting to let the defeat set in.

"Your honor, I have some other evidence I'd like to present to you today," Cyrus motioned Dan up with the poster board. It contained every medical file, photo, and other files, proving Dan's fatherhood to the jury. Cyrus handed it to the jury, so they could examine it for themselves, "And I'd also like to call my client to play a little game of trivia with our plaintiff. Is that alright?"

"Only if she has all the right answers," the judge replied, "Ms. Sparks, do you consent to this? To prove your connection in motherhood to this child?"

"Absolutely, your honor," Georgina had gained her confidence back. Dan sat on the opposite side of the judge, ready for this trial to end.

"First question: What is Milo's full name?" Cyrus threw out.

"Easy, Milo Randolph Humphrey," Georgina hit her stand, as if ringing a bell.

"That's weird, why would you give a kid that's not biologically mine two thirds of my namesake?" Dan peered over at her, with a confusing smile. The crowd laughed, causing Georgina to blush and sink back in her seat.

"Easy, Mr. Humphrey. Next question, what is Milo's favorite toy?"

"A blanket with a bear head at the top," Dan buzzed in.

"Who are Milo's godparents?"

"Chuck and Blair Waldorf-Bass!" Georgina stood up.

"Umm, it's definitely Serena van der Woodsen and Nate Archibald," Dan nodded, "I was at the baptism, I would know,"

"I never got an invite," Georgina shot back.

"You never forwarded your new address in Russia, I would have invited you," Dan smiled.

"What is Milo's favorite color and shape?" Cyrus laughed at the silly questions.

"Blue and a circle," Georgina smirked, "We had to make small talk yesterday,"

"Yeah, in between Milo screaming for Dan," Blair hollered across the court room.

"Order in the court! This isn't a middle school playground, and the jury needs to make a decision," the judge called, "Although, surprisingly, this has been a very good way to determine custody,"

"Final question, Milo has one life threatening allergy. What is it?"

"Dan, you obviously know this one. Have at it!" Georgina threw at Dan.

"No Georgina, he's your biological son. Tell the jury what you're son could die from if consumed, touched, or inhaled!" Dan genuinely offered back.

"Peanuts," Georgina answered with confidence.

"Gelatin," Dan stood up and placed the medical file and newspaper clipping on the judge's desk. He walked back over to the desk and made eye contact with Milo.

"You tell her, Daddy!" Milo pumped his fist in the air. Georgina returned to her seat, feeling defeated.

"The jury will now take time to deliberate. The court is now in recess for 15 minutes," the judge banged his gavel and stood up to take a break. Everyone exited the court room, nervous and excited to see what would come next.

* * *

Dan was chugging a bottle of water when the UES found him, albeit without Milo (he couldn't be in any physical contact with either parent during the trial). They approached him slowly, unsure of how he was feeling during this critical time. He had put on quite a show and had also put Georgina in her place.

"Dan, you really smoked Georgina for what she's worth," Nate laughed.

"I'm worried the jury will think it's too immature and they won't see me fit to take care of Milo," Dan bit his lip and looked at his shoes. He was beyond nervous at this point. He didn't care if Georgina fought for the rest of her life; he just needed to have his son in his life.

"If they couldn't use that case and all the evidence presented to them to prove that you are the only person to parent Milo, then this jury has some major issues they need to work out," Serena reassured her step brother.

"I just hope they feel the same way," Dan looked up at his friends, and they finally saw the fear and sadness in his eyes. After yesterday's scare, Dan had silently and slowly started accepting defeat, just in case the jury disagreed with his case. He wasn't giving up; he was just taking the pain of not having Milo away, bit by bit. Dan looked up to see Vanessa walking toward the group. The Upper East Siders followed Dan's eyes to Vanessa, ready to fight her if she was here to hurt their friend. Dan smiled at his friends, before hugging them and motioning them back toward the court room. Vanessa stopped in front of him, wearing the best poker face he had seen in a while.

"Did they decide yet?" Vanessa broke the ice.

"No, we're actually headed back in two minutes for the answer," Dan avoided eye contact, trying to avoid the pain Vanessa had brought him last night, "I thought you were leaving,"

"Not for another hour, but I couldn't go to the airport without apologizing," Vanessa pleaded, "I feel like absolute dirt for everything I said, but I'm just so worried for our future,"

"I am too, and I'm sorry Vanessa, but Milo will always come first," Dan sent the hurt right back to her.

"I understand that, and I never want to come between you and Milo; that's a bond nobody could break. But can we work it out? Can we at least try long distance?" Vanessa grabbed his hands and pulled him close.

"Only if we're both willing to put in the work," Dan looked her in the eyes, and she saw someone who was hurt, but was willing to open themselves up. She knew he needed someone now more than ever. She pulled him into a hug, then a passionate kiss. When they finally departed, sadness set in.

"See you at Christmas," Vanessa sniffled.

"See you soon," Dan kissed her on the cheek before giving her a gentle push on the back. He slowly made his way into the court room, reminding himself that he still had a little bit of happiness in his life.

* * *

Dan rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants and took slow, deep breaths. He kept fidgeting in his chair, before the judge returned and the court stood up. Dan looked over his shoulder and saw his friends, all giving him a thumbs up. He also saw Milo clinging onto Nate, feeling the fear and tension in the room. Georgina was straight faced, not willing to accept defeat quite yet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the jury has reached a verdict. Two verdicts, in fact," the judge bellowed throughout the court room. His voice rang through, even after he finished speaking. Dan closed his eyes, trying not to faint from worry. The court room held their breath collectively.

"The jury has found the custody case of Milo Randolph Humphrey, for full custody without any further trial or any chance of regaining custody…to belong to Daniel Randolph Humphrey, as the legal father of this child," the judge smiled. Dan opened his eyes wide and took a breath before bracing the table to keep his balance. He had done it; he had won a fight that he barely had the upper hand against. Dan's thoughts were drowned out by cheering and screaming throughout the room, and he was stunned as he kept looking around. Dan was snapped back into thought and Nate held Milo out toward him. Dan grabbed his son, and the two held each other tightly, knowing they'd never be separated again. Tears ran down the father's cheeks, but they were happy tears, unlike Georgina's.

"The jury also conducted a private case while in the decision making process. The jury has also found Georgina Sparks guilty on charges of adultery with child conception. It is now an international affair, and she will be deported and placed in jail for a minimum of seven years, after which she will receive another trial," the judge announced. Georgina's jaw dropped as the state officer placed her in hand cuffs. She was escorted out kicking and screaming, as the Upper East Side and Dan stood there, shocked. The rest of the court continued to celebrate, patting Dan and Milo on the back as they walked out of the court room. The two silently escaped to their favorite ice cream shop to celebrate, only wanting to be in each others presence for a while. And that's exactly what they did.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Buck Buck Buck

4 years old

Dan woke up extra early on the third on September, half because he wanted to, but the other half because he couldn't sleep. It was Milo's first day of preschool, and although he had been in daycare since a few months after his birth, Dan was still a bundle of nerves. He wasn't nervous for how Milo would be at school; Dan knew that he would thrive. He was nervous for all the events that came with it. What if they did a Mother's Day brunch and invited all the moms? Milo wasn't asking about Georgina, even though he had witnessed the custody battle, but that was just fine with Dan. Dan looked at the clock and it read 6:51am. It was time to wake Milo up, and Dan knew it was now or never. He just couldn't believe his baby was old enough for school. Dan pushed the door open slowly and quietly, and he saw his son sleeping on his stomach with his face toward the door. Dan smiled at Milo's rosy, baby cheeks, hoping he'd never outgrow them. He knelt down next to Milo's bed and rubbed Milo's back.

"Hey bear, it's time to get ready for school," Dan kissed him on the forehead.

"It's really the first day?" Milo peeked one eye open at Dan, but still didn't move.

"Yup, it's your big, first day of preschool!" Dan threw up some jazz hands, hoping to instill some excitement in his son.

"Yay!" Milo jumped out of bed, already dressed in his favorite dirty play shirt and some sweatpants. He grabbed his backpack filled with toys out of his toy bin and started for the door, before Dan stopped him.

"Whoa buddy, I know you're excited, but we have lots of stuff to do before you go to preschool," Dan held his impatient hands. Milo squirmed in excitement and annoyance.

"Like what, daddy?" Milo cocked his head at his father.

"How about using the potty first?" Dan asked. Milo nodded, before dropping his backpack and running to the bathroom and closing the door. Dan laughed and shook his head, before picking out some new clothes for Milo to wear. He grabbed some khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt to go with his brand new sneakers they'd bought over the weekend. Dan set them on the counter before toasting a waffle and slicing up some apples for Milo's breakfast. Milo returned from the bathroom, hands washed and all, and climbed into his booster seat at the kitchen island (since there was really no room or need for a dining room table in the loft). He started digging into his food, and gulping down his milk.

"Milo, slow down! Preschool doesn't start for another hour, you've got some time before it's time to go," Dan laughed, but was also concerned for his son. Milo slowed his eating, while Dan began to gather everything to make Milo's lunch.

"I'm done, Daddy!" Milo gently pushed his plate toward the other side of the island where Dan was standing, "Can I watch Paw Pals? Before we leave?"

"Sure," Dan smiled, before heading into the living room and turning on the TV to the appropriate channel. Milo unbuckled himself from his booster seat, and Dan helped him down. Milo settled in on the couch with his bear blanket, and Dan's heart panged. His little boy was growing up. Dan regained his thoughts and began making Milo's lunch. Since Milo could only read little words here and there, Dan showed his love by cutting Milo's peanut butter sandwich into a heart. He also packed Milo some baby carrots and hummus, some cubed watermelon, a granola bar, and a juice box. Dan placed the lunchbox in Milo's backpack, after removing all of the toys out of the backpack. Dan also filled Milo's robot water bottle with water and put it in the side holder.

"Daddy, can I start getting ready?" Milo brought Dan the remote so he could shut off the TV.

"Sure, how about you go brush your teeth?" Dan turned off the TV, and tossed the remote onto the couch. Milo went off into the bathroom and began scrubbing his teeth, humming some song from the show he just watched. Dan began to gather his own things into his messenger bag, including a folder containing all of Milo's medical information. Dan also packed Milo's allergy bag into his backpack. Milo returned from brushing his teeth and showed his dad by giving him the cheesiest smile possible. Dan laughed, and gave Milo his school clothes and shoes to put on while he got dressed for work. Both Milo and Dan looked dapper, with Milo in his new clothes, and Dan in a light blue button down shirt, a long tie, grey dress pants, and a pair of dress shoes.

"Are you ready to go, little bear?" Dan rubbed Milo's hair.

"One last thing," Milo grabbed bear blanket off the couch and placed it into his backpack, before zipping it up and pulling on the straps. Dan noticed this small gesture and smiled, knowing that Milo was feeling the same feelings he was. The two left the loft, and got on the subway, ready for their next step in their lives.

* * *

The subway was extra crowded as everyone made their way to school, so Milo held onto Dan's hand extra tight. The navigated through the blocks of Midtown to Milo's preschool, which now seemed big and frightening to Milo. He hid behind his dad's legs as they walked into the building.

"Hey, what's wrong, little bear?" Dan rubbed Milo's hair and looked down at him with care.

"Um, maybe I can go to work with you today?" Milo looked up at Dan, before grabbing Dan's hand and pulling him away from the door.

"No, no, no, c'mon Milo, you were so excited earlier. Tell you what, I'll come inside with you and hang around for a bit, how does that sound?" Dan squatted down and asked Milo. Milo gave him a big nod, and then a big hug. Dan took Milo's hand and they walked into the preschool. Dan and Milo found Milo's cubby and hook, and hung up his backpack. Milo took bear blanket out, before heading into the main classroom where all the kids were playing. Milo's eyes got wide, and he went to hide behind Dan again. Dan grasped his shoulders, turned him toward the other kids, and walked him in further. A little raven haired girl ran over, her pink tutu bouncing the entire way over.

"Hi, my name's Jane! What's your name?" she gave Dan and Milo a big smile.

"My name's Milo," Milo gave a sheepish smile. Dan rubbed Milo back, pushing him slightly toward Jane.

"Want to build a tower with me?" Jane held out a block toward Milo.

"Yeah!" Milo took it with an even bigger smile. He gave Dan a quick hug and kiss, before running off with his new friend. Dan stood up, and headed toward the parent sign in, where there was a teacher waiting.

"Good morning! I see you've gotten your son all settled in to the classroom. I appreciate you gently leading him into the learning environment," the perky, but seasoned teacher organized some papers before looking through the filing bin, "I'm Mrs. Angela,"

"Dan Humphrey, Milo's my son," Dan stuck his hand out and the two shook hands.

"Awesome, then only thing I am missing from Milo's records is his immunization record,"

"I also brought his emergency plan for his allergy," Dan handed her a folder with all of Milo's medical records, "His allergy kit is in his backpack, in case anything happens,"

"I'm rather impressed with your level of maturity. How old are you again?" Mrs. Angela read over the immunization record.

"I'm 23, and thank you. That compliment means a lot," Dan nodded.

"There's only one issue with this record, if you don't mind explaining it to me," Mrs. Angela looked concerned, "Why hasn't Milo had his chicken pox shot?"

"Oh, he never got them as a baby, so really they're just waiting for him to get them. Trust me, if I had it my way, that vaccination would have been done a while ago," Dan explained.

"Okay, well obviously it's out of our control, but thank you anyway. Well, we'll see you at 5pm for pick up!" Mrs. Angela filed away the folder, before smiling.

"Thank you!" Dan called as he left the preschool. He rolled up his sleeve to check his watch. He had 7 minutes before he was late for work. Dan fast walked all the way there, excited to see what this day would bring him.

* * *

Dan sat in his office with his infamous red pen, circling typos and misspellings. Despite how boring it sounded, Dan loved his job as copy editor. Writing and editing for Entertainment Weekly was way more fun than it looked, plus he always had something to talk about as he was always caught up with the latest and greatest news in Hollywood. Dan worked the normal salaried 40 hours a week, but if he ever needed some extra cash, he would still cater waiter. He only did it once or twice a month, but he still loved hanging with his crew. One day he would grow out of it and be paid enough to survive on his own with Milo, but for now, he dealt with what he had.

An email popped up from Vanessa. Dan smiled, before clicking it open. He wouldn't say they were happily in love, since the last time he had seen her was Christmas of last year. She couldn't leave her job very often, and that's why Dan never really saw her. He wasn't sure where their relationship was headed, but he hoped they could stay together, even if it wasn't forever. His office phone's sharp ringtone pulled him out of the email and he answered it promptly.

"Dan Humphrey for Entertainment Weekly," Dan held the phone between his shoulder and his ear/chin, before returning to his editing.

"Hi Mr. Humphrey, this is Mrs. Angela from Midtown East Preschool, how are you?"

"I'm good, did I miss pick up? I've just been so into my work, who knows at this point!" Dan tried to joke, but was pretty concerned deep down.

"You didn't miss pickup, since it's only 12:30ish. On behalf of the staff, we'd like to ask you to come pick up Milo. He hasn't done anything wrong, we just noticed that he's starting to get some spots reminiscent to the chicken pox, and we talked about him not being vaccinated, it would just be best for him to go to the doctors and stay home for a few days," she explained over the phone.

"Absolutely, I'll be over as soon as I can. Thank you," Dan shuffled as much work as he could put into his briefcase, knowing that he'd have to work from home for a few days. He slid out of his office and closed the door, before dialing another phone number on his phone.

"Hello, Dr. Bernstein? Hi, this is Dan Humphrey, I need to schedule an appointment for Milo Humphrey…" Dan walked down the street toward Milo's preschool. He felt his phone buzz, and took it away from his ear to see a new blast from Gossip Girl.

Get me a dose of penicillin fast, because the Lonely Boys are about to be quarantined. XOXO GG

* * *

Dan arrived at the school to see his son and Jane eating lunch together in the cubby area, while the other kids were napping in the main classroom. Mrs. Angela came out of the office attached to the cubby room.

"Don't be worried about Jane, she's already had her vaccination. Plus, she insisted on eating lunch with her best friend," Mrs. Angela smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it. Well, at least now I know he'll be able to get his vaccination," Dan unhooked Milo's backpack and zipped it up, before throwing it onto his back.

"Well, you better get him to the doctor, then home to rest," Mrs. Angela stated as she helped the little ones clean up their lunches, "Come on Jane, now it's really time for a nap,"

"See you in a week," Dan called out to the teacher and waved, while guiding Milo out the door, "Let's go to the doctor, okay bud?" Milo nodded, and held onto Dan's hand tight.

"Daddy, did I do something bad?" Milo looked up at Dan as they walked down the stairs to the subway.

"No, Milo, it just seems that you have the chicken pox,"

"What's the chicken spots?" Milo itched at his red bumps on his arms.

"When you get all those red bumps, but you can't scratch them," Dan eyed Milo, and Milo stopped scratching immediately. The two got off the subway in Brooklyn and walked to the doctor's office. They checked in and sat down, waiting patiently for their turn to be seen. The duo heard their last name being called by the nurse practitioner, and were led into a very colorful, pediatric room. Dan lifted Milo and set him on the examination bed, then sat in a chair in between the built in doctor's desk and the examination bed.

"Good afternoon, Humphrey family. How are you, Milo?" Dr. Bernstein held out a gloved hand for Milo to shake.

"Good," Milo weakly shook the doctor's hand.

"And how are you, Dan?" he held the hand out Dan.

"Just peachy," Dan smiled and shook the doctor's hand.

"What are we in for today?" Dr. Bernstein as down in his rolling chair and opened Milo's file.

"I got a call from Milo's preschool, and it appears he may have the chicken pox," Dan explained, holding onto Milo's hand, since Milo looked a bit nervous.

"I see that, it looks like he does have some spot. Let's take your temperature, okay Milo?" Dr. Bernstein smiled, and Milo nodded while yawning, clearly exhausted from the day. The doctor put a thermometer under Milo's tongue and they waited until it beeped. It read 101 degrees, and Dr. Bernstein shook his head.

"Your teacher was correct, Mr. Milo; you do indeed have the chicken pox," Dr. Bernstein started scribbling a prescription on the little white pad of paper, "And Dan, you're not looking so hot yourself, so I'm going to grab your file real quick," Dan looked at him confused, before scratching his suddenly itching arm. Dan peered down to see that his arms had a bunch of tiny, red bumps on them. Dan's jaw drop as he texted his father, to see if he had had chicken pox as a kid. Dan's phone vibrated immediately, and Dan almost dropped it from trying to answer it so fast. Apparently, even when Jenny had had them, Dan somehow never caught them. Dan sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well Milo, looks like you and I are gonna stuck in the loft together for a little while,"

"Why, Daddy?" Milo cocked his head at his dad.

"I have the chicken spots too," Dan looked up at the ceiling and sighed, preparing himself for a nice week in quarantine with the only person he'd ever need.

* * *

By the time Dan and Milo were home, they had no appetite and just wanted to sleep. They made a quick stop at the grocery store for crackers and Gatorade, as well as soup and some other foods that were light on the stomach. They also stopped at the pharmacy to get some calamine lotion and Tylenol. The lugged all their bags up the elevator and put them on the island in the kitchen. When Dan came back upstairs after checking their mailbox, Milo was crashed out on the couch. Dan smiled, also feeling a little heart ache, wishing he could take his son's sickness away from him. Dan carried Milo to his room, and tucked him into his new big boy bed, giving him a kiss on his spotted cheek before closing the door to a crack and entering his own room. Dan stripped down to next to nothing, and collapsed into bed, before his phone lit up with a FaceTime request from Vanessa. He groaned and answered it, full face in his pillow.

"Hello?" Dan growled, muffled by his pillow.

"Dan? It's only 6:30, why are you in bed so early?" Vanessa peered at the dark video of her boyfriend. Dan lifted his head, and Vanessa jumped at all the little red dots covering his body, "Whoa! What happened to you, Dan?!"

"Milo got the chicken pox at school and passed them on to me, so we're going be stuck here for a while," Dan explained, trying hard to keep his eyes open.

"You never got them as a kid?"

"No, and Milo didn't get them when he was supposed to, so he never got vaccinated. According to my dad, I never got them, even when Jenny had them, so I never got vaccinated wither. But I swear to God, the minute we're over this sickness, we're both getting vaccinated," Dan sighed, frustrated.

"Well, okay then. You sound exhausted so I'm just going to go, I have a big shoot in a few hours anyway," Vanessa felt mildly attacked.

"Wait, Vanessa I'm not mad at you, okay? I love you," Dan recovered, softening his eyes and staring at his beautiful girlfriend, "Only 7 more weeks!"

"Only 7 more weeks. I love you too," Vanessa repeated, smiling at her best friend. The two appeared so blissful on the outside, but they were worried about each other's presence once Vanessa returned. Would they hate each other? Or would they love each other endlessly?

* * *

Dan woke up to Milo shaking him. He shot up and glanced at the clock, which read 7:24am. Milo was squirming around and had a desperate look in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Milo?!" Dan pulled his son into his lap, holding him in a tight hug.

"I want to scratch my chicken spots so bad, Daddy! They itch bad!" Milo held his little fists to his sides, resisting his urge to scratch.

"Okay, okay, let's get you in the bath," Dan placed Milo on the floor, where he took off running for the living room. Dan grabbed the jar filled with oatmeal off of the kitchen counter, before dragging the metal wash tub out from under the sink, since their bathroom only had a standup shower. Dan poured a few buckets of warm water into the tub, before scooping some oatmeal in and stirring it up, while Milo undressed himself.

"Am I taking a bath and eating breakfast at the same time?" Milo got wide eyed.

"No, the oatmeal is going to take away the itch!" Dan laughed, before helping Milo into the tub. Milo sighed in relief, and sank into the tub a little bit. While he soaked, Dan made some peanut butter crackers and set them on a big plate in the living room. Dan knew they'd be lying low for a while. After about thirty minutes, Dan removed Milo from the tub and stuck a towel on him, before dumping the water out of their kitchen window into a back alley. While Milo ate some of the crackers, Dan dotted the calamine lotion onto Milo's blisters.

"Why are you putting pink on me?" Milo looked mildly offended.

"It's a lotion to stop the itchy feeling,"

"But why's it blue?" Milo peered back at his dad with a nasty side eye.

"Hmm, maybe because it's Jane's favorite color?" Dan raised his eyebrow. Milo shot his head back around to his crackers.

"Daddy, are you itchy? You have spots too," Milo poked Dan's blisters, which made them even more irritated and itchy.

"Yes I am, Mr. Milo," Dan put the cap on the lotion and threw the used Q-tips in the trash before setting back onto the couch.

"Can I put lotion on you?" Milo asked, genuinely concerned for his Dad.

"Sure, little bear. Use this," Dan leaned off the couch and handed Milo a paint brush. Milo gripped it with his little hand, and Dan poured some lotion onto the brush. Milo painted it on his father's back in scribbles, causing Dan to shiver at how cold it was. Milo kept painting Dan's entire body, until he was covered in pink, causing him to break out in giggles. Although Dan hated how nasty it felt, Dan soaked in the feeling and the memory. Their giggles ended when they heard the loft door open with vengeance, and Blair and Serena came in with mouth masks on. Blair was holding a huge crockpot, which she promptly set on the counter.

"What are you guys doing here?" Dan stood up, realizing he was only in his boxers. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his legs, but left his stop uncovered since he was still covered in lotion.

"We saw the blast, and were worried about you two being quarantined by yourselves in the loft," Serena cocked her head with concern in her eyes.

"It's just the chicken pox, GG makes things out to be a bigger deal than they are," Dan explained, peeking back at Milo who was happily sipping on some Gatorade whilst entranced by Toy Story, "You guys should probably leave if you don't want the kids to catch it,"

"Dallas and Grace got it before we adopted them, plus being in daycare has seasoned them," Serena answered.

"And Emilee and Henry just had it a few weeks ago, remember? You went on that business trip, and we were watching Milo?" Blair dumbed it down for Dan, though he didn't need it to be dumbed down.

"Oh, so that's where he got it! Your two little hooligans got him sick!" Dan exclaimed jokingly.

"It appears so, Humphrey. Well, text us if you need anything. Bye Milo," Blair smirked back and headed for the door.

"Bye Auntie Serena, bye Auntie Blair," Milo waved, before returning to his movie. Dan was glad to know where their sickness had come from, but he could not wait for it to be over. Dan snuggled back in on the couch with Milo, realizing they were going to be in this position for a while.

* * *

After ten days of being couch bums watching moves while watching multiple Disney movies, Dan and Milo were all healed of their chicken pox and were waiting for their joint appointment with Dr. Bernstein.

"Daddy?" Milo asked, sounding frightened.

"Yes, little bear?" Dan rubbed Milo's shin.

"I'm scared to get a shot. I don't want it to hurt,"

"Well, it's going to hurt a little, but what if I hold your hand and get it at the exact same time as you?" Dan offered. Milo nodded his head violently, before there was a knock on the door as Dr. Bernstein and his nursing assistant entered the room.

"Are we ready to get rid of those chicken pox, once and for all?" Dr. Bernstein offered.

"Yes we are," Dan held Milo's hand, and rolled up his t-shirt sleeve with his other hand. The medical duo cleaned off their patient's arms, before lining the syringes up.

"Ready? One, two…three!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: It's a Small World

5 years old

It was the middle of March, which meant that NYC was looking pretty dreary and felt even colder than it looked. Sure, spring would be coming soon, but not soon enough. Dan knew this time of year too well, being that he had been living in the city for 24 years now. That's why he had planned a vacation that the two of them would never forget. Dan could barely contain his excitement as they walked from the subway to Lily and Rufus' loft for the big reveal for Milo. It was raining pretty hard, but the two were just glad it wasn't snow.

"Daddy, where are we going?" Milo jumped in every puddle he could find on the sidewalks.

"We're going to Mimi and Papa's," Dan was giddy, but contained his excitement until they got into the lobby. They took the elevator up to the loft and when the door opened, Dan's face broke into a humongous smile. Milo's mouth dropped into an O and his eyes got wide as he looked around the open living room. There were some mouse shaped balloons and polka dots everywhere. He saw his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins all wearing mouse ears. He also saw Vanessa wearing some mouse ears, but not as happy as the rest of the crew, as she was holding her stomach with bits of pain on her face.

"Milo!" Dallas and Grace ran over and gave their cousin a big hug. They were five years old now, and they'd be starting kindergarten with Milo next year. Dan had decided to keep Milo back, because of where his birthday fell on the calendar, plus he'd have some friends at the big school.

"Mymy!" Emilee toddled her way over, as she was three now. Henry was on his mom's hip, a respective two years old now. She gave Milo a big hug, but Milo still couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Daddy, it isn't my birthday right?" Milo looked up at Dan puzzled.

"No, silly," Dan smiled, "There's a drawing on the table that I drew for you, go look at it," Milo took his boots and jacket off and handed it to Dan, before making his way to the coffee table. He picked up a nice stick figure drawing of him and his dad on an airplane flying toward a castle.

"Why are we flying to a castle?" Milo turned around to face his dad, still confused. Everyone was stifling their giggles, as Dan squatted down to Milo's height and took two pairs of mouse ears out of a box next to his feet.

"Milo, we're going Disney World!" Dan strapped his ears on.

"No way!" Milo ran and hugged his dad, while Dan hugged him back and put the ears on his son, "We're going to meet Mickey Mouse?!"

"Yes, Milo, we're going to meet Mickey Mouse!" Dan pumped his fist in the air.

"When are we leaving, Daddy?"

"We're going to leave tomorrow, but Daddy has some stuff to do before we leave, so you're going to sleep over with Mimi and Papa, okay?" Milo nodded at his dad, and Dan stood up. He waved goodbye to everyone, and Vanessa shuffled over to him. The two left in the elevator and rode in pure silence down to the lobby, both not wanting it to end.

* * *

Dan and Vanessa sat across from each other in a cozy nook of The Bean, both holding tightly to their coffee cups. The tension between them was beyond tight, and neither of them wanted to speak, but they both knew they needed to.

"Why?" Dan choked out, holding back tears.

"I was lonely, and you and I just never really had time to talk," Vanessa pleaded.

"There's better ways to handle loneliness than to cheat on your boyfriend," Dan shot her daggers, and saw the fear in her eyes. Normally, that fear would melt him and he'd give her a hug, but Vanessa had crossed the line for the last time.

"I didn't want to cheat on you, Dan! It just happened!" Vanessa started tearing up and holding her stomach again.

"Yeah, because sleeping with another man you work with is just an accident! You got back two weeks ago, and you think I wouldn't find out about your affair from your two year movie job?"" Dan slammed his hands on the table, causing Vanessa to jump, "Are you sick? You keep holding your stomach,"

"Dan-" Vanessa started, but Dan's facial expression revealed what he had figured out.

"Vanessa, you aren't pregnant. No. No way," Dan tried to hold back his anger and frustration.

"Dan, I'm sorry! We just needed to talk; this baby could be yours," Vanessa covered her mouth as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You're just now telling me this, the day before I'm supposed to be taking my baby on his first trip to Disney World. What is wrong with you?" Dan's face got red.

"I just couldn't work up the courage until now," Vanessa sunk into her seat, feeling beyond guilty.

"I'm going to leave now, to get ready for this vacation. You can either do a paternity test while I'm gone or we'll do one when I get back. As for now and probably forever, we're done," Dan stood up and put his jacket on, ready to brave the storm back to his apartment.

"Wait, Dan! You can't just leave me! This baby could be yours!" Vanessa stood up and grabbed his arm. Dan turned around and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Could, being the operative word," Dan pulled a few of his dark curly hairs out of his head and handing them to her, before tearing himself away. As he made his way outside, the rain started to downpour, and a blast from Gossip Girl dropped the biggest bomb in two years.

Looks like Lonely Boy reclaims his original title, as D and V have broken up! But it seems there may be another hurdle in their breakup. Is baby Daddy Dan back again, or is this baby not biologically his…again? XOXO GG

* * *

Dan was in his self-destructive mode, where he hyper focuses on whatever he needs to do and blares some kind of music. He was currently packing for his weeklong vacation, and he had finished Milo's bag, so now he was onto his bag. "Fallout" by Marianas Trench was blaring loudly from his stereo, when he stopped throwing clothes from his bedroom to his living room, to see why the loft door was opening. Dan poked his head out to see Nate and Chuck strolling in, looking at the explosion of clothing in front of them.

"Let me guess, the girls set you up for this?" Dan walked out, scrunching his nose.

"Well, they just wanted us to check on you…" Nate explained lamely. Chuck walked further into the loft, and into Milo's room.

"Guys, I'm fine. I'm just packing for tomorrow,"

"Daniel, if you're really just packing, why did you break out the baby albums and Milo's old clothes?" Chuck brought out Dan's secret pile he had pulled out while packing. Dan's face dropped.

"Is that baby yours?" Nate asked, having read the blast.

"I don't know, at least not yet," Dan shrugged.

"Do you want another kid?" Chuck set the stuff on the kitchen island, and placed a hand on Dan's shoulder.

"Not right now! I'm so content with Milo's life, but the fact that she could have been pregnant with my kid, while she was carrying out this affair is just…disgusting," Dan dropped his head into his palms.

"Then you don't have to be involved in this baby's life, even if it turns out to be yours," Nate offered.

"But then I'd be doing what Georgina did to Milo, and I could never do that to a child," Dan pleaded.

"We'll figure this out when you return okay? As for now, get yourself packed up," Chuck shook Dan's and before leading Nate out and closing the door.

"Have a good night," Dan called out, before returning Milo's baby chronicles to the top shelf of his baby closet, choosing to wallow in the baby blues when he returned from the happiest place on Earth.

* * *

4am came too soon, as Dan grabbed all four of the duo's bags and double checked that every light was off and every appliance was unplugged, before locking the loft door behind him. He hailed a cab to JFK, where he was meeting Milo for their 5am flight. Milo was cranky, but that was easily fixed by the blueberry muffin and orange juice Dan brought him. They ate and drank in the terminal, Dan downing two black coffees before they boarded the plane. When they checked in and boarded the plane, Milo and Dan had their little row to themselves, where Milo took the window seat. He was really nervous about flying, but once in the air, he loved it. Milo managed to dose off into a nap, but Dan stayed awake so he could keep an eye on his son. The plane landed, and the duo were surprisingly perky, despite being overtired, and took the shuttle bus to Walt Disney World. As the signs and the castle grew bigger, Milo's eyes grew wider.

"Are we at Disney yet?" Milo was sitting up as high in his seat to try and see any bit of the most magical place on Earth.

"Almost, it looks like we're at the gate to get to our resort!" Dan pointed at the big yellow sign, welcoming them. They pulled up in front of the Art of Animation Resort, where they were greeted by lots of friendly Disney characters. Dan and Milo hopped off the bus and removed their luggage from the compartment underneath the shuttle. Dan, unbeknownst to Milo, flashed their Mickey ears toward the bellhop who was helping them unload, because they had their names embroidered on the back. The bellhop rolled the luggage cart ahead of the boys, whispering their names into the character's ears. Dan smiled and strapped his ears on, before handing Milo his set of ears. Milo held his dad's hand, trying to absorb everything he possibly could possibly absorb in one viewing.

"Hello, Milo! Let's get a photo!" Mickey Mouse bent down to address Milo.

"Dad, they know our names!" Milo turned around and looked at his dad with amazement. Dan chuckled before handing the bellhop his phone so he and Milo could get photos with Mickey and the crew. Dan looked at the photos after, while Milo was visiting with the crew, and Dan had never seen Milo more excited in a photo in his life.

"Ready to go?" Dan nodded toward the door.

"Do you have any paper? I want to get their signatures!" Milo was trying hard not to jump up and down with all the excitement in his body. Dan pulled his journalist notepad out of his back pocket, along with a ballpoint pen, and gave it to Milo. He could always buy a new pad when he got home.

* * *

After Milo got all his signatures, the two made their way up to their room. It was 5pm, so the two just ordered room service and stayed in, watching Milo's favorite Disney movie, which was Brother Bear. They were cowing down on mac and cheese when Dan got a phone call to his cell phone. Dan got up off of their shared queen sized bed, and sat in the bathroom with the door cracked open in case Milo needed anything.

"Hello?" Dan answered, confused about who would be calling him.

"I'm going to kill her, you know?" Jenny's voice rang through the phone. She had been unable to attend the brief going away party, due to having a huge project due for textiles class the next day.

"Leave Vanessa alone, she could be carrying your unborn niece or nephew," Dan sighed, reality hitting him in the face like a ton of bricks.

"Dan, are you seriously okay? I'm just worried because you're so far away," Jenny pried at her brother's heart.

"I'm fine, I just need her to send in that paternity test as soon as possible, but she might be putting it off to try and persuade me to come back," Dan put his face in one of his hands.

"Are you going to?"

"I'm not going to let her hurt me again. I've got so much more in my life to fill any void she may be leaving," Dan threw out with vengeance

"Ooh Dan! I believe you now! Tell Milo I love him and miss him, bye bro," Jenny laughed before hanging up. Dan laughed at his sister's antics. He walked out of the bathroom to see the credits of Brother Bear, and a tired looking young boy, even though Dan saw him as a baby.

"Daddy?" Milo peered over at his dad.

"Yes?" Dan sat down on the edge of the bed, setting a hand on Milo's back.

"Can we have some cuddle time before bed?"

"Absolutely! Go brush your teeth," Dan gently pushed on Milo's back. Milo slid off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes. Dan shut his phone off so no one could disturb his vacation for the time being. Milo returned and the two slid under the covers, trying hard to sleep, even though they were both excited for the activities that would commence the next day.

* * *

The next morning, the duo was up bright and early to enjoy wonderful breakfast at the Crystal Palace, where the group from the Hundred Acre Woods greeted them. Milo was in awe the entire time, and Dan took as many photos as he could on his digital camera. Dan had to catch Milo's attention many times, just to get Milo to eat his Mickey shaped pancakes and yogurt. Thankfully, Dan had sent in Milo's allergy note before they arrived in Florida, so anytime they swiped their meal cards, it would notify the kitchen to be extra cautious.

"Milo, the sooner you eat your pancakes, the sooner we get on some rides!" Dan brought Milo's attention back to his breakfast. Today, they were spending time in the Magic Kingdom, but they had tickets for all the other parks, one for each day they were in Disney, plus a Typhoon Lagoon pass for whatever day they wanted to use it on. Milo and Dan finished their breakfast, and they made their way out onto Main Street, USA.

"Where do you want to go first?" Dan asked, squatting down with the map of attractions, so that Milo could pick. Dan was letting Milo make all of the decisions; this vacation was more for Milo than it was for Dan, but he was smiling through all the pain his heart was feeling.

"Can we ride the Dumbo ride?" Milo asked, surprised that his dad was going to let him pick all of the rides.

"Sure. And let's make sure we ride the Mad Hatter before lunch, okay?" Dan smirked at his son.

"Sounds like a plan!" Milo started running toward the Dumbo ride.

"Whoa there, bear! You have to stay with me!" Dan jogged to catch up with Milo before taking his hand. They both ran, filled with glee at what their day had for them. They got in line for the Dumbo ride, and checked in with their Magipasses. When it was finally their turn, they hopped in an elephant with a blue blanket, and soon, they were "flying" through the sky. Milo looked around at the entire park, in shock at how much he could see from up high. Dan snapped more pictures, of course, loving every moment he had with his son.

* * *

After riding almost every ride in the park, Milo had one more place he wanted to take his dad. Milo grabbed Dan's hand, and dragged him toward Cinderella's Castle as fast as he could. Dan finally had to stop Milo so he could have a cast member take their photo outside the castle. After they were done taking photos, Milo dragged Dan into the castle, where there was a long line of other parents and children to see all the Disney princesses.

"Did you want to visit the princesses before we left?" Dan cocked his head at Milo.

"No, I wanted you to visit them," Milo smiled at him.

"Well why's that?" Dan looked even more confused.

"Well, I know you and Vanessa aren't really boyfriend girlfriend anymore, so I wanted to find you a new girl," Milo explained.

"Milo, you don't have to do that. Yes, Vanessa and I aren't going to be seeing each other anymore, but I don't need another girl right away," Dan replied, remembering he hadn't turned his phone on in over 24 hours, "Let's go get some dinner okay?"

Dan turned his phone on, as he led a sad Milo away from the castle. He had a few missed calls and at least ten texts, but he saw one from Vanessa. He stopped in his place as his heart dropped, scared to read it. He opened it, but only after closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Vanessa: Took as Pat test. Not yours. Have a good life.

Dan cheered loudly, as many people around him looked at him funny. He put his phone in his pocket and picked Milo up in a huge hug.

"You know what, Milo? I'd love to meet Rapunzel," Dan put Milo back down. Milo's facial expression grew wide, as the two of them headed back toward the castle, with an orange sunset melting behind it.

* * *

 **A/N: I have the best readers, I swear! Please keep the reviews coming, they're the best pick me up during work! Speaking of work, my boss scheduled me to work all seven days this week, on top of going to school, so I may not be putting a chapter up this week. I really want to, but we'll see how much I get written this week. Please keep reading and reviewing! Love you bunches-CK**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Dental Assurance

6 years old

Dan and Milo finally had their flow back, and had a new routine for their mornings, since Milo was at a new school. Dan would wake up first, so he could make coffee and wake Milo up. Milo would get himself dressed and groomed, while Dan made him breakfast. While Milo ate, Dan would get dressed and ready for work. Once all that was done, they'd hop on the subway and take it all the way to Midtown, where Serena would meet them and take Milo (along with her twins) to school. Milo was now in kindergarten, but he was put in a year late so he would be one of the oldest in his class. He was also in the same grade as Dallas and Grace, which eased the anxiety of not having friends the first few days.

Along with being in a new school, Dan started looking around for an extra-curricular for Milo to participate in. The private school he was at didn't offer them through the school, so they had an entire bulletin board filled with posters of activities to participate in. Dan brought home a few of the posters to show Milo, so he could have a choice over what he wanted to do. Normally, Dan would let Milo show interest in something before making suggestions, but Milo's educators were becoming worried, as Milo was barely participating in his class and was drawing away from other students.

"Okay Milo, what kind of stuff do you like to do at school?" Dan offered over their dinner of chicken and rice with peas.

"I like P.E. and Legos," Milo shrugged.

"Do you want to try soccer? I think Dallas is doing it too," Dan pushed the bright orange poster toward his son, who looked it over inquisitively.

"Yeah!" Milo's face lit up as he slid the poster back to the other side of the island, "When can we go buy all the stuff for it?"

"The equipment? We can go tomorrow morning, before your first practice" Dan cleaned the dishes off of the island and started washing them while Milo wiped down the island, "Do you want to pick out the movie for our Friday Movie Night?"

"Yeah!" Milo set the wet cloth next to Dan, and Dan quickly planted a kiss on his son's head, before he scampered off to get into his pajamas. Milo then returned and scrolled through Netflix and picked the movie "Home". He paused it and waited for his dad to situate himself on the couch beside him. Dan knew these movie nights wouldn't last forever, but he tried to cherish them while he could.

* * *

Dan and Milo woke up the next morning, filled to the brim with excitement as they went to pick out Milo's soccer gear. They went to the sports equipment store around the corner from their loft, and Milo couldn't believe how many choices he had. He picked out some black shin guards, red cleats, and a grey mouth guard. They also stopped a consignment store nearby to pick up some shorts, along with a few more pairs of khakis and some polos for Milo's school uniform. The two walked home, and Dan noticed that Milo was particularly perky today. Milo was practically skipping down the street, to the point where Dan couldn't keep up.

"What are you all jumpy for today, bear?" Dan jogged to keep up with his son.

"I just can't wait to make new friends!" Milo turned around and starting walking backwards, grinning big at his dad.

"Do you not have friends at school already?" Dan questioned. He knew they were only a few weeks into the new school year, but it seemed strange that he didn't have some friends.

"Well, I have Dallas and Grace, and next year I'll have Emilee too. And then Henry the year after that, but other than that? No," Milo shrugged.

"Did any of the kids you went to preschool with come to Trinity?" Dan peered down at Milo.

"No, and I really miss Jane. She's my best friend," Milo sighed and slumped over a little bit. Dan wasn't surprised by Milo's answer; most of the kids from Milo's preschool were attending a public school right near where the preschool was. Dan considered sending Milo to public school, but it would have meant that he'd have to leave work by three every day, and Milo wouldn't even be in the same district, since they live in Brooklyn. Sending Milo to Trinity was easier, because Dorota would pick the kids up every afternoon, and they would all play at Chuck and Blair's until everyone got out of work. Dan just hoped this wouldn't be affecting Milo as much as it is now, because it hurt him immensely to see Milo upset. As always, Gossip Girl was right on cue with her witty remarks, as a new blast launched.

Like father, like son. Lonely Boy's little boy is turning into a loner himself, as it seems he can't make friends. If we don't remember our past, we're only bound to repeat it, right? XOXO

* * *

Later that afternoon, Dan and Milo made their way to the public recreation center in Midtown, where the soccer club was taking place. They walked into the indoor turf, where Dan handed over the sign up papers, and signed Milo in on the clipboard. The kids were split into equal teams, and Milo was on the yellow team. Dan and Milo then made their way to the sideline benches, where they further awaited instruction. Dan was peering around the turf, when he noticed a familiar young girl wearing a yellow team shirt, and he turned Milo around and pointed at her. Milo furrowed his brow, then burst into a sprint to hug his best friend, Jane. Dan got up and quickly followed, worried Milo would hurt himself.

"Jane! I've missed you!" Milo hugged his best friend tight, and she hugged him right back.

"I've missed you too, Milo," Jane smiled big at him, as they held hands and ran to meet their yellow team.

"Hey Dan, how's Milo been liking kindergarten?" Jane's mother, Siwa asked.

"To be completely honest, he hasn't really made any friends, which is why we're trying out some extra curriculars. How's Jane?" Dan revealed.

"She loves kindergarten, and she's made a few friends, but she misses Milo a ton. She talks about him all the time," Siwa laughed, as the two made their way to the parent benches, to watch the kids run some practice drills.

"Well, we'll have to schedule a play date sometime!" Dan smiled.

Nate and Dallas arrived soon after, and Dallas was on the yellow team as well. Nate sat next to Dan, and the two chit chatted about almost everything, before turning their attention to the turf. The kids practiced passing the ball between cones and passing to each other, as well as doing basic team building. By the end of the practice, it was time to do a scrimmage. Milo volunteered to be the goalie since he did such a good job during the practice round earlier. Dan noticed that there was a kid on the field who looked particularly big to be in the kindergarten age group, but Dan couldn't judge since he held Milo back a year.

"Kick the ball, Brendon, score a goal!" Dan heard a parent holler from a few benches over. Dan peered around to look at the part, but Nate hit him in the arm just in time. Dan looked back at Milo, as Brendon launched the ball from four feet away, straight into Milo's mouth, which promptly flipped Milo head over heels onto the turf.

"Whoa! Milo!" Dan drowned out his son's screams and sobbing as he sprinted off the bench onto the turf, trying to dodge at least forty half-sized humans. He slid onto the ground, and picked Milo up from the face, down laying position he was in. Milo's mouth was overflowing with blood, as Nate handed Dan his handkerchief. Milo clamped down on it, as Dan held his jaw shut. Jane and Dallas ran over and tried to keep the other kids away, so Dan and Nate could take care of Milo.

"My cousin is a dentist, he can put these teeth back in him," Nate showed Dan the two teeth that had fallen out and onto the turf.

"Perfect, this was exactly how I envisioned this whole 'getting your kid involved' thing going!" Dan picked up a whimpering Milo and carried him over his shoulder, while walking over to the registration table, "You might want to check Brendon's birth certificate, because no kindergartener should be able to launch another kindergartener like that,"

* * *

"So where is your cousin?" Dan asked as he powerwalked with Milo over his shoulder toward the loft.

"He's in Albany, so we've got a bit of a drive," Nate answered, while basically dragging Dallas so they could keep up with a furious Dan.

"Alright, let's do a little packing then," Dan unlocked the loft and slid the door open. He sat Milo on the counter and grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer. He wrapped it in a dish rag and gave it to Milo, whose tears were drying on his face. Dallas rubbed Milo's shin as Nate put the teeth in a small Tupperware container of milk. Dan reemerged from his room in a red acid washed shirt and some dark jeans. Dan took Milo off the counter and changed him into some play clothes and stuck his yellow shirt in the sink with soap and cold water, and then changed Dallas into his extra clothes while Nate changed.

"I can call the town car to come take us," Nate came out of the bathroom while Dan packed a cooler full of snacks.

"No, it's all good. I have our ride figured out. Can you grab the extra car seat out of the closet?" Dan nodded over his shoulder.

"Sure, but what car are we taking?" Nate cocked his head as he dug out the extra booster seat.

"Daddy, are we taking the van?!" Milo jumped up and yelled with a lisp, the dried blood on his lip flaking off. Dallas laughed at the spectacle Milo was making of himself.

"Yes, we're taking the van," Dan laughed, cleaning up Milo's face before grabbing the set of keys off of the hook by the door.

"You have a van?" Nate questioned before grabbing the cooler.

"Yeah, it's in the parking garage under this building. It was a Christmas present from mom and dad way back in the day," Dan ushered everyone out the door and locked it. They took the stairwell down to the parking garage and Dan hit the button on his keys. The lights flashed on a blue Dodge Caravan, before they all piled into the three-rowed vehicle. Dan backed out of his parking place, before taking the ramp out of the parking garage and hopping on the Brooklyn Bridge. They boys were singing along to 80s hair bands before Milo and Dallas passed out, exhausted from all the excitement.

"So how is Dallas doing, like, developmentally?" Dan inquired, still worried about his son.

"He has friends and is participating well in class. He gets in trouble for talking too much, but otherwise, he's doing great," Nate replied.

"I'm just so worried about Milo," Dan shifted his hands on the steering wheel as he switched lanes to pass a semi-truck.

"Is he doing okay?"

"He isn't participating much in class, and he doesn't have that many friends since I put him in private school. All his friend's from preschool go to Midtown 110, and he misses them. He really misses his best friend, Jane, and I don't know what to do," Dan ran his fingers through his hair.

"Do you think it has anything to do with him being an only child? You've done an amazing job parenting him, but maybe he's just so used to being alone, he doesn't want to make friends,"

"Well, I'm obviously not having any kids anytime soon, and Vanessa's daughter isn't mine,"

"Maybe you just need to find the right woman. Who knows, maybe she already has a kid. All I know, is that you're an amazing father and you'll find someone soon,"

"I hope so, I mean, I'm 25, and I'm the only single one left in our group, even Jenny and Eric are engaged to their significant others," Dan pondered as they sped toward the capital at sunset. He prayed he'd find someone who could enrich not only his life, but Milo's life as well.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: C'mon, Vogue

7 years old

Summers in the concrete jungle were always filled with two things: celebrities and sweltering heat. With all of the celebrities and shows popping up, Dan's work had picked up immensely, leading to many late nights for him and Milo. The loft was also a mess, leading Dan to consider moving closer to his work and Milo's new school. After an unsuccessful semester in private school, Dan had decided to transfer Milo to Midtown 110, where Milo has now flourished and snuck his way into the top 15% of his class. But Dan was having a hard time giving up the idea of moving; this was not only his first home, but Milo's as well. A lot of memories were stored between those brick walls, and Dan just couldn't let it go.

During the day, Dan wrote his featured articles at Entertainment Weekly, while Milo was away at a Lego/builder's day camp. At 3pm, Dan left work early to pick Milo up and make his way on scene to whatever event he was covering for the day. Sometimes, he got to go behind the scenes of movie sets, other times he was doing sit down interviews with the directors and writers of book-to-movie concept projects. His favorite article to write was his "Broadway Bash" series, where he would go view a bad Broadway show, and give it good remarks that would sky rocket it into the New York Times. Most times, he would give Milo the choice to come with him or hang out with his cousins. Milo usually chose to go with Dan, knowing that it was the experience of a lifetime to go to all these cool events.

Today, however, there was no option for Milo to go to the UES. The event Dan was covering was a Waldorf-Bass fashion show, and everyone was playing a role in tonight's show. Blair, of course, did the designing and crafting of the outfits, with Jenny by her side as a fashion intern. Serena, Nate, and Eric were all modeling the outfits, while Chuck was playing emcee and business coordinator. Dallas, Grace, Emilee, and Henry were handing out paper numbers on sticks, for people to bid on the designs being worn that night. All the benefits were going toward providing shoes for kids in third world countries, so they won't hurt their feet while playing and living their lives.

Dan was straightening his tie in his office, before picking up Milo at camp and getting him dressed for the fashion show. He logged off of his computer, and lifted Milo's suit in a garment bag off of the coat hooks, when his phone rang.

"Dan Humphrey, Entertainment Weekly" Dan answered it on speaker.

"Humphrey! I need help!" Blair practically yelled through the receiver.

"Blair? What's wrong?"

"Can you bring us some food? Catering is coming soon, but I need food now!"

"Do you have any particular requests?"

"Umm…can you bring some milkshakes? Maybe some sort of finger food?"

"Yeah, sure. See you in 15," Dan hung up, laughing at his friend's antics. He left his office and locked the door behind him. He enjoyed what was left of the air conditioning, before he stepped out of the revolving door into 94 degree weather.

* * *

Dan walked four blocks from his office to pick up Milo from camp, where he was relatively clean for a seven year old. Dan got him dressed, before they took a cab to Tribeca for the fashion show. They got out at a food stand two blocks away to pick up Blair's food.

"Alright, what kind of milkshake do you think Aunt Blair wants?" Dan squinted up at the menu.

"Get her vanilla, so if she spills it, it won't be obvious," Milo crossed his arms, trying to protest the heat under long sleeve suit. Both men decided to forgo the jackets, and Milo rolled up his sleeves, much to his father's dismay. Dan laughed at his son's remarked, and ordered two vanilla milkshakes, a strawberry milkshake for Milo, and a couple to-go bags of falafels for sustenance. After they got their food, they booked it to the show's venue. It was 4:30, and the show was starting at 5, and Dan knew better than to be late to his sister-in-law's events. The two pushed their way in the back door of the concert hall, and looked around as they walked quickly to try to find Blair. They saw models and assistants running around without shoes (as a tribute to the kids without shoes). Dan and Milo "checked in" their shoes and continued to wander around, trying to find Blair.

"I need a razor cut on Malia, please-oof!" a short woman dressed in jeans and a black flowy shirt with an ear piece, an iPad, and tool belt fell to the ground as Dan bumped into her.

"I am so sorry!" Dan helped her up. Dan noticed she had shoulder length, blonde, wavy hair and piercing green eyes. Her makeup was subtle and light, yet it suited her heart shaped face perfectly. Dan was quickly pulled out of his trance as she smiled at him.

"It's alright, it gave a break from the wrath of Blair," the young woman laughed, readjusting her tool belt, "My name's Hanna, I'm the head cosmetologist for Waldorf-Bass fashion shows,"

"I'm Dan, the features writer for Entertainment Weekly and Blair's brother-in-law." Dan smiled and shook her hand, before she adjusted the shears in her belt, "And this is Milo, my son,"

"Nice to meet you," Milo smiled and shook Hanna's hand.

"Milo, how old are you? I've got a daughter just about your age. Her name is Kelsia, and I believe she's hanging out with Blair and Serena's kids,"

"I'm seven," Milo responded politely, as he heard his aunt yell into Hanna's ear piece.

"Well, it's been nice to meet you both, but I've got a model who isn't going to razor cut her own hair!" Hanna held up her hair razor, and scooted between the boys before run-jogging around the corner. Just then, Blair came stomping around the corner, albeit four inches shorter than normal.

"Ugh, Humphrey, where have you been?! And where's your press pass?" Blair threw her fists up and pouted.

"It's right here, and I brought your food, so play nice," Dan smirked before handing her a bag of falafels and her milkshake. He pulled his press pass out and slipped it onto his neck.

"Milo, can you do me favor?" Blair looked down at her nephew, who nodded in response, "Can you help your cousins' hand out auction numbers? There's more guests than we thought! I even have my cosmetologist's daughter handing them out!" Milo nodded before scampering off for the entrance to the concert hall.

"I met your cosmetologist, by the way,"

"Hanna? Yeah, she's sweet, but fierce. She gets stuff done with a smile, I love her," Blair explained between bites.

"Yeah, and she's gorgeous too," Dan added casually.

"Oh my God, Dan! You like her, don't you?!" Blair hit him on the shoulder.

"Hey, I haven't dated anyone for two years, nor have I found someone I like. Hanna just seems…different. I like her," Dan blushed and smiled at the thought of his new-found crush.

"Well, lucky for you, the minute the show starts, she actually gets to sit down and watch the show, since we're doing a minimalistic look for each model. Normally, she has to stay back stage and switch model's looks and hairstyles, but today, she gets to watch instead," Blair rearranged the seating chart via her iPad, "So now she gets to sit with you!"

"Blair, you didn't have to do that," Dan laughed.

"Oh yes I did! Now go sit down and enjoy the show, it starts in two minutes!" Blair shooed him out into the seating area. He was in a private side balcony, closer to the stage than the other journalists. He sat in the chair closest to the railing, when Hanna made her way in in a 60s style, high neck swing dress with a bright, floral pattern on it.

"Oh, funny seeing you here!" Dan laughed as she sat down.

"Yeah, because I totally didn't see Blair change the seating chart in real time!" Hanna held up her iPad toward Dan with the seating chart in real time, showing it fill up by the minute.

"Busted!" Dan laughed, "Where did your tool belt go?"

"Oh, it's that big trunk right there," Hanna casually pointed to the big black rolling trunk in the doorway to their balcony.

"Aha, and your daughter?" Dan smirked.

"She is staying with the Waldorf-Bass' tonight; she loves hanging out with Grace and Emilee," Hanna added casually, "Where's Milo staying tonight?"

"Well, we were supposed to go home tonight, but I'm sure I could arrange something," Dan looked down at Chuck as he stepped onstage to start the show. Chuck gave him a thumbs up, before clearing his throat and addressing the crowd.

"Good evening, Tribeca! Welcome to the third annual Waldorf-Bass Barefoot Fashion Show for Shoes! I'm Chuck Bass, and I'll be emceeing tonight's show," Chuck announced with his signature smile. Hanna propped her feet up on Dan's lap and snatched his milkshake off of the floor, before smirking at him while taking a sip. Her actions surprised Dan, but he just held her feet in his hands, completely forgetting to write anything for the show.

* * *

The fashion show went over tremendously well with the crowd, as they applauded and everyone did a final walk. Dan and Hanna left, knowing their kids were in good hands with Chuck and Blair. It seemed like Milo was always being lugged off to the Waldorf-Bass', but Dan always made time to be with his son, whether it's with Friday movie nights or going to a Yankees game with their passes.

"So…do you want to go to the after party?" Hanna offered up, looking unsure of the words that had just escaped her mouth.

"I was actually having such a good time with you that I forgot to write down notes for my article. Long story short, I need to write this article before I forget anything that happened,"

"I'll come with you. I don't have anything better to do," Hanna offered, hoping she wouldn't come off too strong.

"Sure, and I'll interview you as like a 'behind the scenes' viewer; someone who has the real inside scoop," Dan smiled, before leading them to the shoe check area. The duo grabbed their shoes and hailed a cab back to Entertainment Weekly. Dan scanned into the building, bypassing the security alarm, and unlocked the door into his office. He turned on a soft lamp in his room, so not to disturb the mood of the evening. He sat down at his desk, and motioned for Hanna to sit on the leather couch adjacent to him. She hopped up and sat on his desk instead, as he opened his laptop and turned it on.

"So, what is like to be backstage at a Waldorf-Bass fashion show?" Dan offered professionally.

"Well, it's hectic to begin with, but even more hectic when you aren't wearing shoes. It was for a good cause though, so it made every crazy moment worth it," Hanna smiled, looking past Dan, out his floor to ceiling windows. The city was particularly dazzling that warm, foggy evening.

"Has working for Blair opened any doors to further your career or life in general?" Dan typed methodically.

"Oh absolutely," Hanna gushed, looking down at Dan.

"Like what?" Dan asked, mesmerized by his laptop screen

"Well, I got to meet a handsome man named Dan," Hanna slowly pushed his laptop screen down, as he moved his hands away a leaned back into his desk chair.

"And has meeting me, provoked in you?" Dan looked at her quizzically.

"How much I want to kiss you," Hanna bit her lip at him. Dan stood up and pressed himself against her. He held her as she wrapped her arms and legs around his toned body. They kissed passionately, as the rain started to pour down and the lighting and thunder flooded the city.

* * *

Dan woke up in his bed, sans clothes, with an empty wine bottle on the floor next to him. He rolled over to face Hanna, whose arm was slung over him. Her hair had gone wild from sleep and she was drooling just a tiny bit, but it made Dan stifle a giggle. He gently moved her arm off of him, causing her to claim the sheets and roll over in protest. Dan hopped out of bed and grabbed a clean pair of boxers, pajama pants, and a black tshirt out of his laundry basket. He slipped those on before walking into the kitchen, where the clock read 8:51am. Blair was going to drop the kids off in about an hour, maybe earlier. Dan made a pot of coffee, and took a deep drink of his before settling into the living room to finish his article. It was cold and dreary out, which meant it was a board game and puzzle day for Milo. Maybe they would go to the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Dan leaned over amidst his article writing to look at Hanna. She was still sleeping peacefully, unaware of the loss of Dan from his bed. Dan smiled, before hearing a knock on the loft door. Dan sprung up and closed his bedroom door, before opening the door to see Blair and not only Milo, but a girl who he assumed was Kelsia.

"Morning Dan! I assume you slept well?" Blair smiled, before cocking her head to indicate sarcasm.

"Just like a baby, and yourself?" Dan crossed him arms in protest.

"Oh just swell. I assume you know where Kelsia's mother is?" Blair hinted, before pushing the kids in a bit.

"I do, she'll be out in a minute," Dan half talked, half yelled so Hanna would hear him, "And you must be Kelsia, right? I'm Dan, Milo's dad," Dan bent over to shake her hand. She smiled and shook it back.

"Good morning everyone! Baby K, how was your sleepover with Grace and Emilee?" Hanna came out of Dan's room in some cutoff shorts and one of Dan's old tank tops, and hugged her daughter with a big smile.

"It was good. We played an awesome prank on the boys!" Kelsia beamed and high-fived her mom.

"Covering us with whip cream and making us look like famous presidents isn't that awesome!" Milo protested, rolling his eyes.

"Sounds like you had the presidential treatment!" Dan leaned against the island, crossing his arms again and chuckling at his dad joke. Milo and Hanna rolled their eyes, whilst Dan and Kelsia gave each other knucks, complete with the explosion at the end.

"Well, since the Brady Bunch is all back together, I'm going to go now. Au revior," Blair finger-waved, before turning sharply on her espadrilles and swinging her out of the loft.

"Bye Blair," Dan chuckled.

"See you Friday!" Hanna called to her boss, "Well, it's been awesome hanging out with you, Dan,"

"Yeah, you too," Dan smiled. Kelsia and Milo looked at each other behind their backs, then did a gagging motion to each other.

"We should hang out again soon," Hanna smiled.

"Yeah, I just want to talk about it with Milo," Dan lowered his voice, so that only he and Hanna could hear.

"Absolutely. I need to make sure Kelsia is okay too," Hanna nodded.

"Well then, I will shoot you a text later," Dan smiled and leaned on the counter.

"Yes you will. Milo, Dan, have a wonderful rest of your Saturday," Hanna grabbed her phone and her keys off the counter and picked up her daughter's sleepover bag, as they headed for the loft door.

"Bye Milo!" Kelsia waved.

"Bye Kelsia!" Milo waved back, smiling. The two young ladies left, sliding the door behind them.

"So, what would you like to do for the rest of the day?" Dan looked at his son, who was still beaming.

"Can we go to the park? The one with the water sprinklers and stuff?" Milo asked, looking back at his dad, who was also still beaming.

"Sure. Go get changed!" Dan ruffled up Milo's hair and pushed him toward his room. Dan shook his head and smiled, as he went into his own room and changed. He could feel some strong feelings coming on, and he wasn't sure he wanted to stop them. As always, Gossip Girl was right on time with a blast:

BREAKING NEWS UPPER EAST SIDERS: Lonely Boy is no longer lonley! He was spotted with a scissor-wielding blonde bombshell as they scampered off to Brooklyn? Is this romance in full bloom, or is it just going to wilt away? XOXO Gossip Girl

* * *

Dan watched his son splash around in the water park section of the park. He saw innocence and youthfulness that he once possessed when he lived in Hudson. Dan always wondered if he was doing the right thing by raising his son in the city, without a second parent, and with all of their financial and educational struggles. He still couldn't believe that he had raised Milo from birth straight up until that moment. Dan frequently forgot that Milo was in no way, biologically his. He had dark curly hair and dark brown eyes, just like him, but they weren't related at all. Dan knew that he had to tell Milo sometime; it had been four years since the court case, and with Hanna and Kelsia coming into his life, it was time to tell him the truth.

"Hey little bear, come take a breather," Dan called from his seat on a blanket in the shade. Milo ran over and took his water bottle from the cooler they had brought for a picnic.

"Yeah?" Milo asked, between sips of his water. It was almost in the 90s today.

"How do you feel about Hanna and Kelsia?" Dan tried to stop his heart from trembling.

"I really like them! Kelsia is really fun and loves to share and always laughs at my jokes. And Hanna seems really cool. I think she likes you," Milo smirked as Dan gently smacked him on the shoulder.

"That's really good, I'm glad you like them," Dan braced himself for the question he felt coming.

"Do I have a mom?" Milo looked up at him.

"Yes, but it's a very complicated story I'm not sure you're ready to hear yet. But right now, she's in another country,"

"And she left me all alone with you?" Milo cocked his head.

"Yes, and I've loved every second of it," Dan smiled, "But, there's a little more to it than that,"

"Like what?" Milo pondered.

"I am your legal father, which means I'm your only parent, since your mother isn't allowed to see you until you're eighteen, then it'll be your choice if you want to see her. But I'm not your biological father; he's far away, with your mother," Dan explained, his heartstrings tugging extremely hard.

"What do you mean?"

"It means I adopted you as my own child, even though you have no DNA of mine,"

"Does that mean we aren't related?"

"Not by blood, but I've raised you since the day you were born, and since that day, you've always been mine, and you always will be," Dan looked into his son's eyes, fearing he would be mad and run off. Milo looked at him for a minute, never giving away his poker face.

"I love you," Milo lunged into his Dan's lap and hugged him. Dan held back tears, hoping this moment would never end.

* * *

A few months later…

"Milo!" Dan called from the kitchen, folding the last cardboard box before pushing it toward the door.

"Dad!" Milo echoed back, coming out of his old room, clutching his old bear blanket.

"Go hop in the van, Hanna and Kelsia are already at the new apartment," Dan smiled, writing "KITCHEN" in sharpie on the side of the box. Over the past week, Dan and Milo had been transporting their belongings, box by box, to their new shared apartment in Midtown. Hanna and Dan had been dating for almost 6 months now, and it was time to move up with their relationship. Dan had never felt this amazing with a girl in his life before; she just made him feel like confident in his life.

"Can we…have one more hug? Before we leave the loft forever?" Milo asked.

"Well, we'll still visit it; Aunt Jenny's moving in next week," Dan offered.

"I know, but this was…our place," Milo looked at the floor to hide his blushing cheeks.

"I remember the day I brought you home," Dan smirked.

"You do?" Milo looked at him in surprise.

"Oh yeah, I would sing to you and play with you, even when you'd spit up on me," Dan smiled, causing Milo to laugh. Dan pulled his son into a tight hug, before letting go and pushing him toward the door. Milo walked out of apartment, but not before waving it goodbye. Dan picked up the last box and put it in the hallway, before turning around to look at the spacious, empty loft.

"See you soon, Brooklyn," Dan waved, before sliding the loft door closed one last time. He locked it, slid the keys in his pocket, and carried the box down the stairwell to the van. It was time to bite the bullet and make a huge change in their lives.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

8 years old

Milo started packing his heavy, sturdy trunk for his first year at sleepaway camp. He was going to Camp Tacowia in the green forests of Maine. He was beyond nervous about making friends, but was excited for all the opportunities he would get to experience that you don't get to try in New York City. He really wanted to try all the boating sports they offered, and also wanted to play soccer on the camp's team.

"Knock knock," Kelsia knocked on the door frame of Milo's door, since the door was open.

"Are you done packing yet?" Milo asked, standing up from his kneeling position on the floor.

"Almost. I just have to find my volleyball pads and my swim cap and goggles," Kelsia picked at her friendship bracelet that was hanging loosely around her wrist, looking anxious.

"I need to find my soccer gear, since I haven't played it since school ended," Milo went into his closet to search, before returning after getting a strange, gut feeling, "Are you okay, Kels?"

"I've never been away from my mom for long periods of time," Kelsia bit her bracelet.

"I haven't really been away from my dad much either, but at least we'll have each other," Milo smiled at her.

"But our parents are only dating?" Kelsia tried to smile, but was still feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"So what? Blood doesn't necessarily mean family; caring for someone does," Milo gently poked her shoulder.

"I guess so," Kelsia smiled and looked at Milo, before poking him in the shoulder a little bit harder.

"Let's go find our stuff," Milo offered, "Beat you to the kitchen!"

"Hey, no fair!" Kelsia yelled as they took off running down the spiral staircase.

"Yo, where's the fire!" Dan yelled as his and Hanna's heads whipped around as they heard their kids sprinting down the stairs.

"There's a fire?" Kelsia questioned, cocking her head.

"It means no running, sweetheart," Dan pet her hair.

"Are you two done packing for Tacowia?" Hanna spun around on her stool so she could see her family.

"Almost, but we can't find our sports stuff," Milo shrugged.

"Well when was the last time you guys used it?" Hanna got up and opened the closet in the living room, hoping to find duffel bags.

"Like, the last day of school during field day against the Trinity kids," Kelsia pondered. She remembered having to go head to head with Milo as her teammate against Grace and Dallas during the relay races, and how Dallas tripped over a traffic cone to spy on how fast Milo was coming up to him.

"Maybe they're bags are in the van. We could have forgotten to take them out before we went to Vermont to visit your parents," Dan offered to Hanna, who nodded in agreement. Dan grabbed the keys and walked the couple blocks away to find the bags. He unlocked the van, and found the purple and red duffel bags in the third row of seats. He grabbed them and tossed them onto the garage floor, before noticing a brown, furry corner sticking out from the second row of seats. Dan feared for the worst, and pulled it out. It was Milo's bear blanket from when he was a baby. Milo lost it shortly after moving from Brooklyn to Midtown, and Dan searched all over for it, even going so far as to having Jenny search the loft for it when she moved in. Dan stuffed the lovey in his back pocket, planning to surprise Milo with it. He slide the door closed, before lock it and returning home, excited for the next journey in his and his son's life.

* * *

After Milo and Kelsia finished packing, the duo brought their trunks downstairs and went out to dinner with their parents. It was the last time they'd see them for eight weeks, unless they came up for parent's weekend. When they returned home, they were sent promptly to bed as their 6:30 flight would be coming shortly. Dan and Hanna stayed up to watch a movie, snuggling up on the couch.

"I can't believe our babies are growing up," Hanna sighed, snuggling deeper into Dan.

"Me neither, it seems like just yesterday I brought Milo home and was fighting to keep him," Dan wrapped his arm around Hanna, before brushing her blonde hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"What do you mean 'fighting to keep him'?" Hanna sat up promptly.

"When Milo was three, I went to court against his mother to gain full custody of him. I don't even know how I won that case; she had the upper hand," Dan looked at Hanna, worried.

"Had she been taking care of him longer than you or something?" Hanna paused their movie, suddenly becoming worried.

"No, she abandoned him shortly after he was born; I'm just not his biological father. I'm his legal father, and I've been taking care of him since day one, but he isn't technically mine," Dan calmly explained, before placing a hand on her lap.

"You have no blood relation to your son at all?" Hanna suddenly grew upset.

"No, but he will always be my baby," Dan removed his hand.

"I need to get some sleep, this is just a lot to take in right now," Hanna stood up off the couch wrapped in her blanket, before disappearing into their shared room. Dan followed after he heard her brush her teeth and climb into bed. He slipped in next to her, without touching her.

"I love you, you know," Dan whispered, but Hanna was fast asleep, snoring her beautiful head off. Dan rolled over when he heard his phone buzz, but knew better than to read Gossip Girl's blast.

Dropping bombs is only for war, but it seems that D is trying to stop one. Can D fizzle out this one, before his relationship with H goes out with a bang? XOXO Gossip Girl

* * *

The morning came too soon, as the family of four packed their cab with their trunks and suitcases. A bus was going to pick Kelsia and Milo up at the airport, while Dan and Hanna had a 10:30 flight for Nevada. They were going to hike the Sierra Canyon Trail and camp for a few days, a trip they'd had planned before Dan's bombshell. Dan never wanted to drop it like that, but he had just never found a good time to tell her. She didn't speak a word to him, not even when they sent the kids off; she gave Kelsia and Milo about a thousand hugs and kisses, before they hopped on the bus and were headed to Maine. They sat through a flight for what seemed like forever, before getting in their rental Jeep and off-roading to their destination. They unpacked everything and began hiking up the steep, rocky mountainside. After about half an hour, they reached a fork in the trail.

"The map says the trail keeps going up to our campsite on the right, so let's go," Dan folded the map back up and sliding it into the side pocket of his backpack.

"Why can't we go left?" Hanna crosses her arms and popped her hip, clearly trying to be stubborn.

"Because it says our campsite is on the right trail," Dan pursed his lips.

"Well, the left trail looks more scenic, so that's where I'm going," Hanna tied her hair back with an elastic band and let her ponytail drop.

"Fine, go ahead," Dan threw his hands up in frustration and started hiking up the steep incline. He heard Hanna huff and puff, before disappearing down her trail. Dan hated when they fought; it wasn't very often that they fought, but when they did, it lasted for a few days. Dan shook his head to clear his thoughts, and just took a few deep breaths to try and enjoy the rest of their trip. He was beyond worried about Hanna, but he knew that she was determined and smart enough to find her way back. Dan's heart fluttered at the thought of his amazing girlfriend, but that was quickly axed when an ear piercing scream shattered his ear drum.

"Hanna?!" Dan yelled as he stopped in his tracks. He heard sobbing and more screaming, causing him to start running toward the disturbing sounds. He cut through trees and launched himself off of logs and rocks, hearing the sounds get closer. Dan tried to duck a branch, but it cut a small gash in his cheek. He rounded a tree, but held onto it as he reached a steep hill, where his nightmares were realized.

* * *

Milo and Kelsia arrived at camp around the same time that their parents landed in Nevada, and they couldn't be more nervous, yet excited for camp. Mio wished his cousins could be there, but they were off on their lavish vacations, just like every year. The two grabbed their trunks before looking around at the trees aimlessly.

"Hi! My name is Siena, and I'm the counselor for Cabin 6! What are your names?" A perky college student with a clipboard asked the two kids.

"I'm Kelsia, and I'm in Cabin 6 as well!" Kelsia's heart fluttered with excitement.

"I'm Milo. Do you know where Cabin 4 is?" Milo nervously kicked the dirt below his sneakers.

"Absolutely! We have to walk past Cabin 4 to get to our cabin anyway, so let's hop to it!" Siena lead them into the forest, "So are you two brother and sister? Are you guys twins, you look about the same age,"

"We're not twins, or siblings really," Kelsia laughed.

"My dad is dating her mom, so we live together, but we're not related," Milo explained.

"That's really cool! Milo, your cabin is just down that trail, and Kelsia, we are headed up the hill! It was great meeting you, and I can't wait to see you at the campfire!" Sienna pointed down a small trail to the left, before high-fiving Milo.

"See ya later, Kels!" Milo waved, before running down the trail.

"Bye Mi!" Kelsia called after him, before following Siena up the hill to their cabin. It was the furthest to the left out of the other five cabins in the girl's camp. Siena swung open the door to a room with five sets of bunk beds, half of which had already been claimed.

"Cabin 6, give a big warm welcome to our newest cabin mate, Kelsia!" Siena smiled.

"Hey," the cabin called back to Kelsia, waving back at her.

"So, it looks like you have your choice of either a top bunk or bottom, time to decide your fate for the summer!" Siena joked with a spooky voice.

"I guess I'll take a top bunk," Kelsia shrugged, before dragging her trunk to the end of her bunk and flipping it open. She threw her pillow up on top, along with her sleeping bag and fleece blanket. She noticed that there was a little blanket corner sticking out from underneath her black sweatshirt with "ARROJO Cosmetology School" on the front in gold lettering, which was her mom's alma matter. Kelsia pulled out the blanket and realized it was Milo's bear blanket.

"Is that yours?" Andie, Kelsia's bunkmate, asked her, poking her head out at the end of their bed.

"No, I think Dan must have put it in my trunk by accident," Kelsia pondered.

"Who's Dan?" Lexi, another cabin mate, asked from her top bunk next to Kelsia.

"My mom's boyfriend…Siena, can I go to the boy's camp? I need to give something to Mi," Kelsia turned to ask Siena.

"Sure, just be back in ten minutes," Siena nodded. Kelsia left the cabin and climbed down the stairs, before walking down to Cabin 4. She knocked on the door, before a college-age guy opened the door.

"Can we help you?" he asked.

"I'm looking for Milo, I have something for him," Kelsia explained.

"Milo, your girlfriend is here to visit you!" the male counselor joked.

"That's actually my sister…sort of. What's up, Kelsia?" Milo closed his trunk, as he had just finished unpacking.

"Hey, your dad left this in my trunk, and I wasn't sure if he meant to give it to you or what," Kelsia handed him the bear, "I'll see you later,"

"Thanks," Milo turned over his blanket bear in his hands; he thought he lost this when they moved from Brooklyn. He watched Kelsia leave the cabin, before sitting on his bottom bunk to examine the now-found artifact.

"Aww, did Milo bring his baby blanket to camp?" Brent, Milo's bunkmate, called from the top bunk.

"No, but it looks like my dad apparently wanted me to," Milo laughed and punched Brent in the leg. Brent hopped off his top bunk and started to noogie Milo, causing him to laugh.

"Alright boys, settle down, let's have a hustle up," Taylor, the aforementioned counselor, called out into the cabin. The boys settled down into their bunks to introduce themselves, by saying their names, where they're from, and a goal they have. Taylor started with Milo.

"My name is Milo, I'm from New York City, and I really want become more…wilderness friendly. I may live in the concrete jungle, but the closest thing we have to a forest is Central Park," Milo smiled, causing his cabin to laugh. Maybe this summer wasn't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

Dan saw Hanna crumpled up at the bottom of the hill. He slid down the hill and landed right next to her. She was gripping her ankle and there were scrapes all over her body. She was sobbing and whimpering, her eyes screwed shut in pain.

"Hey, hey, you're okay now. I'm right her, Han," Dan pulled her into his lap as gently as he possibly could. He pulled her boot off and she wrapped her arms around him, clutching his tshirt. Dan pulled her sock off and put it in his pocket. Hanna's ankle was turning purple and throbbing.

"What happened, babe?" Dan gently brushed her ankle. Hanna jumped and howled in pain.

"I got my boot caught on a rock, tripped, and rolled down the hill!" Hanna spat out between sniffles. Dan pulled out a tissue and wiped her tears away.

"C'mon, let's get you to the hospital," Dan put his backpack on his back and her backpack on his front, before kneeling down so Hanna could sit on his shoulders. They hiked back down in silence, and Dan gently placed her into the jeep. He threw the packs into the back and hopped in the driver's seat, steering toward the nearest hospital.

"Thank you," Hanna broke the silence as they drove out of the desert.

"Han, you don't need to thank me," Dan placed his hand on her thigh.

"But we were mad at each other," Hanna rubbed her sore, red eyes.

"It doesn't mean that I don't love you," Dan kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry for being weird last night too. I just couldn't believe your courage and love for Milo," Hanna blurted.

"A lot of people don't understand it, and I'm sorry I never told you sooner. I could never just find a good time to tell you," Dan explained, slipping his hand into hers.

"I've never told you about Kelsia," Hanna added.

"You only have to tell me if you feel comfortable," Dan looked at her, becoming worried.

"Well you deserve to know," Hanna pushed her baby hairs off of her flushed, sweaty face.

"We'll talk about it once we get you admitted, okay? Let's focus on that ankle first," Dan mentioned as he pulled into a parking place in the front of the emergency room. He parked the car and walked around the car to carry Hanna into the emergency room. She held on around his neck, as he hoisted her into his arms. Who knew their first walk over the threshold would be into a Nevada emergency room.

* * *

Milo had spent the rest of his afternoon getting to know his cabin mates and picking out his activities for the first two weeks of camp. After that, he had tryouts for the soccer team He met up with Kelsia at the opening campfire, where they were going to announce who made sports teams what activities everyone was assigned to. Kelsia's face was stained with tears when she finally found Milo, so he shooed his friends away and pulled her to edge of the campfire.

"What's wrong, Kels?" Milo looked extremely concerned at his sister of sorts.

"I miss my mom so much," Kelsia sobbed into her hands, "We've been inseparable since I was really little, even since I was born,"

"It'll be okay, Kelsia. You have me, plus you have all your friends and counselors, I promise it'll be okay," Milo pleaded, worried she would try to leave.

"I don't want to go home, but I really want her to be here," Kelsia wiped her tears on her mom's sweatshirt sleeve.

"Well, we'll see them in a few weeks, and until then, you have a lot of fun things planned, right?" Milo offered up. Kelsia nodded and the two hugged, before returning to where their cabins were seated.

"Good evening campers, to start off tonight's campfire, we'd like to announce our sports teams and who made them!" Luke, the boys head counselor announced into a microphone, "The captain for the girl's 8-9 volleyball team is…Kelsia Evans!"

Milo jumped up and started cheering for Kelsia, who was in complete shock. She stood up and stood by the campfire until the rest of her team joined her. Milo made the boys 8-9 soccer team as their main goalie, and had potential to become a captain later on in the season. As for activities, Milo was assigned to sailing and creative writing, which he knew his Dad would love. Kelsia was assigned to pottery and the rock/climbing course. The two of them suddenly couldn't wait for the next morning, as they wanted to try everything humanly possible in the next eight weeks.

* * *

Hanna was lying in a hospital bed, foot propped up with ice packs, whilst she and Dan waited for her X-rays to come back. She was sucking on some ice chips, not feeling all that hungry. Now was the time to tell Dan about Kelsia's history, or she'd never get the get the nerve to tell Dan again.

"Kelsia was born when I was 19," Hanna broke the silence.

"So was Milo, although he was a surprise for me," Dan gave a weak smile.

"I was studying arts business at UVM, with my high school sweetheart. One frat party later during the first semester, and I suddenly got really sick. I went to the doctor's in February, on my 19th birthday, and they told me I was three months pregnant. I was devastated; my parents already had to take care of my little brother, who had reconstructive full knee surgery from a soccer accident," Hanna looked up at Dan, seeing the worry in his eyes.

"What about the father?" Dan squeezed her hand.

"He wanted to put his education first, so after he left me, I left my parents a note, telling them I was moving to New York City and I was going to go to cosmetology school and make enough money to pay off my semester and a half at UVM and to give them a better life," Hanna rambled, holding back tears.

"I worked backstage at Mamma Mia's Broadway show to pay for cosmetology school, working ten hour school days then five or seven hour show nights. The day after I graduated cosmetology school, I gave birth to Kelsia Vidal; I had had contractions all through my last day. And although I was terrified, August 14th was the best day of my entire life. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, full head of hair, perfectly healthy too. I had no epidural and no one in the room for family, no one came to visit me. After that, I worked at two salons to put Kelsia through daycare and preschool, before joining Blair's team in time for kindergarten. I'm pretty sure she took me on out of pity, but now she's one of my best friends." Han pulled one knee up to her chest and hugging it.

"I'm so proud of you, and you are so incredibly strong," Dan stood up from his chair and hugged and kissed his incredible girlfriend.

"I do want to pay off my parents for my loans and buy them a new house, but that may never happen. I send them a check every month with a letter, and thank goodness they forgave me for having to do my own thing," Hanna smiled, picking up Dan's hand and kissing it as he sat back down.

"We'll figure something out; we always do," Dan kissed her hand back. The doctor knocked on the door before entering the room.

"So here are your X-rays, you did indeed break your ankle, but we're going to put it in an aircast and you'll be healed up soon. However, we would like to do an ultrasound to make sure there's no internal bleeding, since you take quite a tumble," the doctor explained, showing the couple her X-rays before starting up the ultrasound. He rubbed some jelly on her stomach and took the globe to her stomach, rubbing it around.

"That's odd," the doctor noted, placing a pair of headphones on and flipping a couple switches.

"What's odd?" Hanna became suddenly worried. The doctor unplugged the headphones and the sound of pulsating waves filled the room.

"You're 7 weeks pregnant, Ms. Evans. You have no internal bleeding, but you are carrying a baby," the doctor announced with a smile. Hanna covered her mouth, tears running down her cheeks. Dan's mouth dropped as he squeezed Hanna's free hand. He was going to be a dad again. He never thought about having another kid, and neither had Hanna. The doctor printed off their ultrasound pictures and discharge papers, before sending Hanna and Dan home, albeit with crutches and a cast this time. Dan helped Hanna into the car, before taking his own seat. He didn't start the car, but just laid his arms and his head on the steering wheel while Hanna looked off at the canyon. She was worried Dan would leave, just like Mike did. She placed her left hand on her stomach, scared to look at Dan. Suddenly, she felt a hand on hers.

"I can't believe I'm gonna have another baby. And this one has some of me in it," Dan choked back tears.

"Milo will always have part of you in him; you raised him," Hanna gave him a teary eyed smile.

"So we're having a baby?" Dan asked, kissing her stomach.

"We're having a beautiful, healthy, amazing baby," Hanna kissed his head. They couldn't believe how lucky they were, as the sunset off in the distance and melted into a colorful mess.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

9 years old

3rd grade was treating the Humphrey-Evans kids well as they were preparing for their new sibling. They had found out shortly after being brought home from camp, but they didn't know if they were getting a brother or a sister. Although Kelsia was excited at the prospect of having someone to play with, Milo was less than thrilled and had been hiding his emotions for months, without his dad even catching on, or so he hoped. Hanna was due on February 4th, so she still had a month to go, but that didn't stop her from working her tail off at Blair's shows.

Dan was still in complete shock that he was going to have another kid soon. He had always wondered if he would have more kids after Milo, and for a while he only wanted it to be him and Milo. But he had grown up and matured, and he was ready to carry his future on. Although he and Hanna weren't married (and weren't even sure they wanted to get married), they had decided their kid's last name was going to be Humphrey-Evans, since the baby was shared by both of them. Dan's heart fluttered at the thought of having another child, and he often found himself distracted by thinking about all the tasks he still had to get done. Dan looked up at the clock at his office, seeing that it was past five. He packed up his briefcase and made the snowy, cold walk back to the apartment. Hanna and Kelsia were going to have a girl's night, leaving Milo and Dan to have an apartment to themselves.

"I'm home," Dan called, hanging his pea coat and wool scarf on the coat rack.

"Hey, you," Hanna waltzed around the corner, holding her back whist her huge, pregnant belly was protruding, looking as if it was going to knock her petite statue over.

"How are you?" Dan asked kissing Hanna, then he kneeled down to kiss her stomach, "And how are you, baby?"

"We're both good, although it's killing me not to know what we're having," Hanna laughed, rolling her eyes.

"We're having a healthy, beautiful baby, and that's all that matters," Dan kissed Hanna's forehead, "You and Kelsia should get going soon, before the snow gets any worse,"

"We'll see you and Milo later then," Hanna pulled her jacket and snow boots on, "Kelsia, let's get moving!"

"Coming!" Kelsia came down the stairs, already in her snow clothes. Milo trudged down the stairs behind her, before plopping down the couch with his arms crossed. Dan furrowed his brow at his son's sudden attitude, but brushed it away until his girls left.

"Have a safe night, call if you need anything," Dan gave each girl a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye Dan," Hanna and Kelsia called in sync, as they left and closed the door behind them. Dan smiled at them and waved as they left, before turning around and walking back toward the living room to where his son was still currently pouting.

"Since we have the whole house to ourselves, how do you feel about helping me set up the baby's room, then we'll play some Mario Kart and I'll order Chinese food," Dan offered up to his son.

"I don't want to do anything for that baby!" Milo burst out, throwing his hands in the air.

"Whoa, Milo, where is this hostility coming from, all of a sudden?" Dan sat down next to Milo, startled by his sudden outburst.

"I didn't want a sibling before Hanna came into our life and I didn't want one when you told us she was having one!" Milo cried out at his dad.

"Why are you so against having a little sibling?" Dan rested his elbows on his knees, completely confused by his son's pessimistic attitude.

"Because I'm the only one in this family who won't be related to it!" Milo looked angry, but was also holding back tears.

"Oh Milo, you know that's not true," Dan put his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Yes it is! It's yours and Hanna's baby, and Kelsia was actually born from her mom! I'm not even related to my own dad," Milo looked at the floor.

"This baby is as much yours as it is mine, Hanna's, and Kelsia's. You are a part of this family too, and you have always been my son. You're still my kid, and you will always come first to me," Dan offered his son, rubbing his back.

"Even when the baby comes?" Milo looked up at his dad.

"Even for forever," Dan smiled, giving Milo a hug, "So, you think you can help me set up the baby's room?"

"Sure," Milo smiled, "But only after Chinese food!"

* * *

Dan and Milo outfitted the room with green and grey décor, making it gender neutral for the baby when they came home. They set up the crib and the changing table, filling all of its drawers with neutral onsies and and diapers. After completing their task, Dan and Milo fell asleep on the couch, only waking to the sound of Hanna and Kelsia returning from their outing. Dan and Hanna tucked in their children, before switching rooms and repeating the process. They soon settled into their bed, well, at least Dan did for a while. Hanna kept getting up, uncomfortable from the cramping and how big she was. Every fifteen minutes, like clockwork, she was up and wandering between their room and the bathroom. Dan was dozing in and out, but woke up abruptly around one in the morning. He sat up and rubbed his foggy eyes, before hearing a faint whimpering noise coming from their attached bathroom. He got up and made his way in, seeing his beautiful girlfriend bathing in their clawfoot tub. She was gripping the sides of the tub, scrunching up her face. Dan sat on the closed toilet and gently took one of her hands, as she proceeded to squeeze it with immense strength.

"Doing okay, Han?" Dan rubbed her forehead with his freehand. He pushed her hair out of her face, before putting it into a messy bun for her.

"I know Braxton Hicks are supposed to be happening now that I'm eight months, but these ones hurt. Kelsia's never hurt like this, and she was four days late," Hanna let go of the tub and rubbed her very pregnant stomach, "I just feel so gross. I'm sweating like a pig in the dead of January,"

"Here, I'll help you sit up," Dan helped prop his girlfriend up, then covered a loofah in soap. He rubbed it over her back, then onto her stomach, making sure to give it extra kisses after he rinsed the suds off.

"That helped with the gross feeling, but these cramps are killing me," Hanna took Dan's hand as he helped her stand up. She reached her feet, when she felt a pop, then the leaking of some sort of fluids into the emptying tub.

"Uh Hanna…" Dan looked at her, as she looked at him in shock.

"I think my water just broke," Hanna whisper-screamed.

"It's going to be okay, babe," Dan lifted her out of the tub and handed her a towel.

"But I'm not at nine months yet! It's too early! I've never even had my water break, they had to induce me for Kelsia to be born,"

"We're gonna go to the hospital and get you all settled, okay? Everything is going to be okay," Dan hugged her and rubbed her neck and shoulders, before kissing her on the forehead, "Go grab the keys to the van and get your jacket on, I'll be downstairs in a little bit."

"I love you, Dan," Hanna mentioned on the way out the door.

"I love you too, Hanna," Dan followed her. Hanna put on a pair of Dan's pajama pants and a tank top, before exiting the room. Dan changed into jeans and a flannel, before calling Nate.

"Dan, do you realize what time of night it is?" Nate grumbled.

"I think it's time, but I don't want to wake Milo and Kelsia up," Dan started to panic a little.

"Oh, wow. I thought Hanna still had another month?" Nate questioned, getting up and getting dressed.

"Well, that's what we thought, but clearly, this baby has its own agenda," Dan left his room and met Hanna in the front hall.

"I'll be over in five minutes," Nate hung up. Dan helped Hanna put on her shoes, before putting his own on. Nate quietly made his way in, and gave each of his friends' hugs and wished them good luck. Dan and Hanna slowly made their way around the corner to the parking garage, being careful with Hanna's state and the slippery sidewalk. Dan helped her into the front seat of the van, before taking off with urgency toward the hospital.

* * *

Dan helped Hanna into the emergency room, holding her hand and elbow, and sat her down in the waiting room chair. He walked over to the desk and tapped at the glass to get the triage nurse's attention. She looked up at him with a bit of an attitude.

"Can I help you?" she opened the window.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my girlfriend is going to have our baby any minute," Dan leaned on the counter.

"Name and birthdate?" the nurse stood up and walked over to a wall of filing cabinets.

"Hanna Nellie Evans, April 1st 1991," Dan started to pace a little. The nurse pulled out her file and started reading it, before giving it a funny face.

"Hanna isn't due until exactly a month from today," the nurse put some paperwork on a clipboard and handed it to Dan.

"Yeah, well, this baby has a mind of its own," Dan started filling them out as best as he could, before Hanna made an ungodly noise.

"I am going to have the baby any minute now if we don't get this show on the road," Hanna sat on the edge of the chair and gripped its armrests, bending toward the floor. The nurse promptly came out with a wheelchair and wheeled her into an open room in the maternity ward. Hanna got settled into the bed, hoping the pain would be over soon. Dan held her hand and continued trying to fill out the forms. Hanna's contractions were getting closer and closer together, which meant Dan's hand was losing more and more feeling in it.

"Alright Hanna, I'm Dr. Turner, let's get you measured up," the doctor suited up, and lifted the covers over her knees to measure her cervix, "Oh wow,"

"What are you wowing about?!" Hanna asked, frustrated at how this baby still wasn't out yet.

"You're at ten centimeters, you can start pushing anytime now," the doctor told her as he paged more nurses in.

"What?! What if I'm not ready?" Hanna looked panicked.

"You have to be ready, because this baby is coming whether you like it or not," the doctor pulled on some gloves, before getting in place to catch the baby.

"Dan, I can't do this!" Hanna started tearing up as she looked at Dan and held onto his hand tighter.

"You can do this, Hanna. You delivered Kelsia in this same hospital, by yourself. That is the strongest thing you've ever done. You have me by your side now, you can do this, babe," Dan kissed her forehead. She looked at him with pained eyes, before nodding and closing her eyes. She leaned back against the bed, before crunching forward to push their baby out. She screamed and collapsed into the bed after each push.

"The baby is crowning, Hanna, you can do this! One more push!" Dan told her, rubbing her forehead with a cold washcloth, before kissing her cheek. Hanna leaned forward for one more push before hearing a cry break through the room.

"It's a beautiful baby girl!" the doctor announced, placing her on a towel on Hanna's chest. Hanna was crying from exhaustion and excitement at this point. Dr. Turner helped Dan cut the cord, before cleaning off the baby and placing foot prints on the birth certificate.

"19.61 inches and 7 lb 2 oz, born on January 4th 2019, at 3:28 am!" the doctor recorded. He swaddled up the baby and handed her to Hanna, with a cute little pink hat on her tiny head.

"She's so beautiful!" Hanna exclaimed quietly, holding her close and kissing her on the cheek. The baby yawned and puckered her full lips, inherited from her mother. Dan held his finer toward her, and she grabbed on immediately.

"And she's ours," Dan teared up, "Do you have a name you like, since we know the middle name is going to be Tallulah, after Jenny?"

"What about Nevada, since that's where we found out that our lives were gonna change for the better?" Hanna offered with a weak smile.

"Nevada Tallulah Humphrey-Evans…it's long, but I love it," Dan rubbed Hanna's hair. She offered Dan his daughter, and he gladly held her. Hanna rolled over and promptly fell asleep. Dan stood up and rocked his baby girl around the room.

"You'll have to forgive me, Nevada. I haven't been a daddy to a baby for about seven years, and I might be a little rusty. You're coming into an odd, but loving family. And I never knew if I wanted another baby, since I raised your big brother Milo all by myself, and that was scary.

But now that I have you, you're perfect for our family. I'm so glad you decided to join our family," Dan whispered to her, as she began to snore a little bit. He stared down at his beautiful baby girl and couldn't believe how incredibly lucky he was to have another chance at having a family.

* * *

Dan and Hanna decided not to tell everyone that Nevada had been born until about 7am, since they wanted to have some alone time with their daughter before she became smothered with love from their family and friends. Dan woke up in a hospital chair, barley holding onto Hanna's hand. She had been asleep since about 4am, so Dan left her be. He got up, and left the room so he could make some phone calls. The first one he made was to Nate.

"Hello?" Nate answered promptly.

"We have a baby sister waiting for Milo and Kelsia whenever they wake up," Dan smiled, as he walked down the hall to the nursery, where he immediately spotted his daughter amongst a sea of blue and pink blankets.

"When they wake up, I'll get them fed and bring them by to meet her. Do you mind if I bring Serena and the kids?" Nate smiled.

"Of course not, Nevada should meet her aunt and her cousins," Dan whispered excitedly.

"Congratulations, Dan. You're already and amazing father, and I know you're going to do even more amazing with all your single dad experience," Nate hung up. Dan's heart warmed at the kind comments from his step brother-in-law. He went back into the contacts of his phone and made his next phone call.

"Rufus Humphrey," Dan's dad answered, grumbling at how early it was.

"Hey dad, it's Dan. I hope I didn't wake you and Lily," Dan tried to contain his excitement.

"You're okay, what's up? Why are you calling so early?" Rufus sat up.

"You're a grandfather again," Dan smiled at his big reveal.

"I'm a grandfather again? I though Hanna wasn't due for another month?" Rufus questioned, not quite entirely realizing what Dan had just said.

"Your granddaughter was born at 3:28 this morning. She's healthy and beautiful, perfect for Hanna and our family," Dan gushed while pacing down the hallway.

"Oh my goodness, a granddaughter? We'll be right over, and we'll bring your sister and step brother!" Rufus hung up excitedly, causing Dan to shake his head and laugh. Dan quietly made his way into the room, so not as to disturb Hanna before the rush of guests arrived. He brushed her baby hairs off of her face and kissed her forehead. How was he so lucky to have everything he had ever wanted?

* * *

Nate set out some vanilla yogurt and granola on the breakfast nook, before placing cut up strawberries and raspberries in a bowl, as fun little reveal for his niece and nephew. He set that bowl on the table, before sitting back down on the couch. It didn't take long before Nate heard a door open upstairs and he saw Milo start ascending the spiral stair case. He cocked his head in confusion, since there was no 90s music playing, and he knew his Dad always turned it on on Saturdays. Milo finally noticed that his dad wasn't around, but his uncle was sitting on the couch instead.

"What are you doing here, Uncle Nate?" Milo scratched his head and yawned. Nate almost answered, but he heard Kelsia's door open and heard her start coming downstairs.

"Go sit down in the breakfast nook, I'll explain when Kelsia comes down," Nate stood up and rubbed Milo's back. Milo did as he was told, and he didn't argue, because it was too early to be awake.

"Hey, where's the Gin Blossoms-Uncle Nate? Where's mom and Dan?" Kelsia jumped off the last step to the living room.

"Go have breakfast with Milo, and I'll tell you," Nate laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets. Kelsia slid into the breakfast nook next to her step-brother, noticing the menu.

"No blueberries or black raspberries? Why is it only pink berries?" Milo looked quizzically at his breakfast.

"I don't know what color coded fruit has to do with the location of our parents, Uncle Nate," Kelsia crossed her arms.

"Wait a minute…I know what it is!" Milo jumped up and started running around the house, cheering and yelling. Nate laughed as Kelsia gave them both a condescending look.

"Care to share?" Kelsia grabbed him by the shoulders to stop his victory laps.

"We have a new baby sister!" Milo hugged her unexpectedly. Kelsia screamed in excitement as they both jumped up and down.

"And as soon as you're done eating breakfast and get dressed for the cold weather, we will go visit her!" Nate called over his niece and nephew. The two stopped jumping and looked at him, before sliding into the booth to make themselves breakfast. Nate laughed, knowing they're excitement for a sibling would only lessen as time went on and they all grew up.

* * *

Hanna woke up about an hour later in an empty hospital room. She paged the nurse to help her to the bathroom, as she was feeling very weak. When she came out of the bathroom, Dan was in his chair with his coffee and he had some apple juice for his girlfriend. She smiled as he jumped up to help her into bed. She got settled again, and drank some of her juice.

"Would you like me to bring your baby in?" the nurse asked, "You have some guests in the lobby waiting to meet her,"

"Absolutely," Hanna smiled weakly, as she was still extremely tired. The nurse nodded in acknowledgement, before exiting the room. She returned promptly with their bassinet carrying their beautiful baby girl inside.

"It smells like she needs a diaper change before she meets anyone," the nurse laughed and exited the room.

"I'll do it!" Dan hopped up and gently picked up his daughter. He placed her on the changing table and un-swaddled her. Dan changed her diaper and cleaned her up in less than a minute. He re-swaddled her, and gently carried her over to Hanna, whose eyebrows were furrowed at him.

"How did you do that so quickly?" Hanna received her daughter, still looking at Dan.

"Being a single dad to a boy taught me to move quickly when changing diapers, otherwise you'll just get hit with bodily fluids that aren't yours," Dan laughed.

"You're such a natural," Hanna cooed over Dan and Nevada.

"So I've been told. Raising Milo by myself was never easy, but I didn't have a choice. I wasn't going to put him into foster care, and I felt connected with him from the very start. He's always been my baby," Dan explained, "Ready for the family to come in?"

"Yeah, sure" Hanna laughed, her heart touched by what her boyfriend had just revealed to her. Dan left the room and quietly motioned everyone into the room. Rufus and Lily were holding hands, as Eric and Jenny held each other excitedly. Blair and Chuck brought Henry and Emilee in, as Serena brought Dallas and Grace in. Nate rolled in last, having to hold onto Milo and Kelsia so they wouldn't tackle their new sibling.

"She is so precious," Lily cooed as Rufus held onto his new grandbaby.

"She has Dan's hair for sure," Rufus laughed.

"And Hanna's nose," Blair added, smiling at one of her best friends.

"Does she have a name yet?" Eric asked.

"I'm glad you asked that, Eric," Dan smiled at Jenny.

"That smile always means trouble with you," Jenny pointed a finger at her brother, laughing.

"She does indeed have a name," Hanna interjected.

"And its Nevada Tallulah Humphrey-Evans," Dan finished Hanna's sentence.

"Nevada after where we discovered our lives were changing forever and for the better," Hanna explained.

"And Tallulah after my beautiful sister. Jennifer Tallulah," Dan finished the explanation. Jenny hugged her brother, feeling honored.

"Well, I think it's time we leave, so Milo and Kelsia can formally meet Nevada," Serena rubbed her twins back.

"When do we get to really meet our cousin?" Henry looked up at his dad.

"Soon, but she has to go home first," Chuck explained, as everyone filed out the door. Dan thanked Nate as he left for a much needed nap from overnight babysitting. Milo and Kelsia snuggled up with Hanna, gently stroking Nevada's cheeks and tiny fingers.

"Do you want to hold her, Milo?" Hanna offered, sensing that Milo was still mildly apprehensive of his new sibling.

"Sure," Milo replied.

"Here, sit in my chair and then you can hold her. Dan stood up and let Milo sit in his chair. Dan gently took Nevada from Hanna, and helped Milo hold her properly.

"Wow…she's so little," Milo whispered.

"She's not so bad after all, huh?" Dan rubbed Milo's shoulders. Nevada yawned and fell asleep, now that all the excitement was over. Dan felt incredibly grateful in that moment, because now his family was officially whole. Gossip Girl was right on time, but this time with a more pleasant post.

Hey Upper East Siders, please welcome our newest member: Nevada. Lonely Boy must not be so lonely if he can have another baby. Congratulations, Dan, Hanna, Milo, and Kelsia! And happy birthday, Nevada! Enjoy the Big Apple. XOXO Gossip Girl


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

10 years old

Adjusting to having Nevada in the house was hard not only for Milo, but for Dan. Even after Kelsia had moved in, Dan's attention mostly remained on Milo, which is what they were both used to. Now, Hanna's job required her to be out and about at shows, and Dan was usually writing for them. Dan decided shortly after Nevada's birth that he was going to work from home Monday through Thursday, and he spent full days in at the office on Fridays, since that's when his events were. It was strange being a stay at home dad again, but quite frankly, Dan had missed it a lot. If he and Milo had never done that, they wouldn't be as close as they were now. On the topic of Milo, he was still getting used to the fact that his dad had another kid to focus on. He loved Nevada with all of his heart, but he really missed all of his one on one time with his dad. At least he had all of his afterschool activities, his cousins, and his step sister to hang out with. The one thing he dreaded, however, was reading. He always had trouble reading and understanding words, because the letters seemed to flop around and not stay in one place. He knew his report card had come in, and he knew that he was failing reading and writing, both of which were not good things. The minute Milo saw his unopened report card on the counter, he hid it in the scrap paper drawer of his Dad's desk, since he never really opened that drawer.

It was just after New Year's, which meant that Nevada's first birthday was coming up, so all eyes were on her and her big celebration. Hanna had already asked Blair if they could have her birthday party at the fashion warehouse, where there would be enough room for all of their friends and family. Since it was only two days away from the party, Dan had a lot of party prepping to do, since Hanna was working. Dan started his day by waking up with Nevada, first thing in the morning, before waking the kids and Hanna up. He fed them all breakfast, before Hanna took the kids to school and Dan stuck around with Nevada. She usually took a nap around 10am, which is when Dan decided to call Hanna and see what he had left to do for his daughter's first birthday.

"Hanna Evans," Hanna answered her phone, clearly not looking at the caller ID before answering.

"Hey babe, how's your morning?" Dan smiled at her serious voice, since he never got to ever hear it.

"Dan, hey. It's been okay. What's up?" Hanna dropped something in the background, which meant it was a crazy day at the fashion headquarters.

"I just wanted to get your list of tasks left to do before Nev's party," Dan sat at his desk.

"Of course, and don't forget to stop by the school to ask about Milo's report card," Hanna reminded him.

"I still don't understand why they sent Kelsia's and not Milo's. They have the same address and parents/guardians. They could have sent them in the same envelope for all I care," Dan sat at his desk.

"Well, you can talk to the school later, because I have a list for you," Hanna persisted.

"Hold on, I'm grabbing some paper," Dan tucked his phone between his ear and his shoulder. He opened his scrap paper drawer, and pulled out a piece of scrap paper, when he noticed an obvious orange envelope. The front read "To the parents/guardians of: Milo Humphrey". Dan pulled it out, and observed it, realizing it was from the school.

"Dan?" Hanna snapped him back into the task at hand.

"Han, you're gonna have to text me that list; I think I found Milo's report card," Dan hung up, and closed the drawer. He slide his finger along the envelope's opening. He wondered why his son would want to hide his report card. Dan pulled out the pink paper and read the grades from top to bottom.

"Math, B. Art, A+. Social Studies, A-. Science, B+. P.E., B+. Music, A+. Language Arts…D?!" Dan scrolled through, shocked at the bottom grade. He saw the comments below language arts, which read "Milo struggles to read and write comprehensively. Suggested: meeting with reading specialist, ASAP". Dan picked up his phone and dialed the school, but of course Nevada had woken up from her nap and Hanna had just sent her list of tasks.

"Midtown 110, how may I direct your call?" the secretary answered.

"Hi, this is Dan Humphrey, Milo Humphrey's father. Is there any way I can schedule a meeting with a reading specialist today?" Dan replied, picked Nevada up from her crib and giving her a pacifier as he propped her on his hip.

"Absolutely, does 2pm work for you?" the secretary typed him in on the computer.

"Yeah, as long as I can bring my 11 month old," Dan mentioned, laying Nevada down on the changing table for a diaper change.

"Yes you can! Would you like Milo to be present for the meeting?" the secretary asked, way too perkily.

"No, that won't be necessary. He and Kelsia should be picked up by Serena Archibald instead of me anyway," Dan tried to wiggle the diaper onto Nevada. He though Milo was bad when it came to diaper changes, but Nevada was ten times worse.

"Alright, I'll let their teachers know, and we'll see you at 2pm. Have a great day, Mr. Humphrey,"

"Thank you," Dan hung up the phone and shot Serena a quick text, asking her to pick up his kids. He dressed Nevada in some fleece sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt, then dressed her in her snow clothes. He strapped on his winter boots and snow jacket, as well as a hat and gloves. He didn't have to travel very far that day, so he put Nevada in Milo's old baby backpack and strapped her on his front, while his day backpack was on his back. He looked down at Nevada as she tried to play with his lip. Dan instantly saw Milo, in the summer sun during their many walks around Brooklyn.

"Dada!" Nevada giggled, as she pulled on lower lip. Dan snapped out of his memories and looked at his beautiful daughter. She had his dark curly hair, but she had Hanna's jade-green eyes. She looked up at Dan in awe, with her little, almost-toothless smile. He smiled back at her kissed her on the forehead. He stepped out his apartment, then out into the cold daylight. It was snowing, just like the night Nevada was born. He couldn't believe that in a little less than fourteen hours, his baby would be one. Nevada was a loveable, wild child, the exact opposite of Milo and Kelsia. She was always shaking up their house, whether she was running around naked with her diaper in her hand, or she was trying to escape her crib. Dan's life was complete with just Milo, but with his girls? It was an added bonus.

* * *

Dan and Nevada walked a couple blocks over to Milo's school, and paged the front desk to be let in. Once in, he signed himself in at the front desk and awaited to be brought to the reading specialist's office. Dan pulled out his phone and read his texts. Serena agreed to pick the kids up and bring them over to Blair's, which was a weight off Dan's shoulder. He also read his text from Hanna, which was the list of things needed before Nevada's party. They still needed decorations to be bought and put up, and they needed to bake the cake. Dan and Hanna decided to bake their treats, as most bakeries use gelatin in their recipes and they really didn't need Milo to go into anaphylactic shock.

"Mr. Humphrey?" a tall, buff man appeared before him.

"Yes, you can call me Dan," Dan stood up, with Nevada still on his chest.

"Dan, I'm Mr. Morelli, but everyone calls me Nick. Come to my office," Nick lead Dan down a few hallways to a back office room, filled with reading and writing materials.

"So what brings you here today?" Nick pulled out Milo's student file.

"Milo hid his report card from me, and I found it today, and he's failing language arts. I'm just worried about why this is happening," Dan explained as he took the baby backpack off and set Nevada in his lap. He gave her a teething ring, and she started slobbering on it.

"Yeah, we've been pretty worried about Milo too. We did a reading test with him just before Christmas, and it appears that he has dyslexia," Nick slid a copy of the test over to Dan. Dan read the phrases, noticing mixed up words and backwards letter.

"He never had trouble before now, and I'm a journalist, he's grown up watching me write," Dan gave it back to Nick.

"Sometimes it can develop as they're books and spelling words get harder. All he needs to do is get a tutor and spend a little extra time reading," Nick handed Dan an envelope filled with reading and writing tools to help improve Milo's reading and writing.

"Is it okay if I tutor him? I have a degree in English, and I'd like to watch his progress," Dan offered, worried to let his son go.

"Absolutely, just shoot us an email once in a while to let us know how it's going," Nick stood up to show Dan back out to the front. Dan shook Nick's hand after he strapped Nevada back on his chest. He couldn't believe the meeting had been that easy, but he knew that his tutoring sessions wouldn't be a walk in the park. After signing out from the school, he walked to Target, and Nevada dozed off on his chest for her second nap. She was notorious for snoring very quietly, which Dan loved. He kissed her forehead, causing her to snuggle into his chest more. He called Hanna as he grabbed a cart.

"Hey babe," Hanna picked up.

"Hey, how's work going?" Dan asked, strolling into the party decoration aisle.

"Pretty good, how's your day going? How's our little girl?" Hanna cooed.

"She's good, taking a nap in the baby backpack since we're in Target. I just got out of meeting with Milo's reading specialist," Dan's voice dropped.

"A reading specialist?" Hanna questioned, handing Jenny a file folder full the of next show's fashions and hair styles. They all worked for Blair, so it was definitely easier on their family to get the birthday party rolling. Jenny was currently moving fashion designs and fabric off the warehouse's main floor to make room for the decorations, but had to submit hers and Hanna's plans for Blair's next show.

"Milo's dyslexic; his report card said he was failing language arts," Dan explained, "I'm going to tutor him though, after I drop the groceries and decorations off at the warehouse,"

"Oh no, Dan. I'll help too if you want," Hanna offered. The couple wasn't married, and they weren't sure if they ever would get married, but Milo was her step-son and she wanted to help any way she could.

"It's okay, Han; I'll figure it out," Dan promised, "Are you and the girls still making the food at Serena's place?"

"Yeah, as long as you and the boys are setting up the warehouse," Hanna reminded him gently.

"As soon as I'm done here, I'll meet you at Serena's," Dan planned.

"See you then, I love you," Hanna smiled.

"I love you too," Dan hung up, throwing some party hats into the cart. He turned the cart out of the party section of the store, toward the food. Nevada woke herself up and started to fuss, so Dan took one of her pacifiers out of his pocket, and sucked on it to get any dirt off. He stuck it in her mouth, causing her to giggle. She looked around in amazement at all the bright lights and colorful boxes, and Dan soaked it all in. He still forgot that this baby was his and not just one of his step-sister or sister-in-law's babies. Even after a year, he was still enjoying being a mostly stay at home dad, although he missed his office and his colleagues. Once she was three, he would go back to being full-time while Hanna was doing shows and they would put Nevada in the same preschool Milo was in. Dan hoped to fulfill Hanna's dreams one day of owning her own blow-dry salon, where they only did updos, blow-dries, hair extensions, and braids, but he would just have to see where their wonderful life would take them.

* * *

Dan shuffled his feet on the welcome mat, before entering Nate and Serena's home. He unhooked the baby backpack and freed Nevada from its constraints and her snow clothes. She waddled towards the voices she heard bubbling in the kitchen. Dan finished taking off his snow gear, before following his baby. He snuck up on Nevada, and picked her up, blowing a raspberry on her belly. She giggled as he carried her into the kitchen, where Hanna was mixing up Nevada's cake, meanwhile Serena and Blair were rolling up little sandwiches for finger food.

"Hey Dan," Hanna stopped her mixing to kiss him on the cheek, before taking their baby and giving her a big hug.

"Hey honey, how's it going?" Dan questioned, leaning on the granite countertops of the island.

"Everything would be going better if you could rally your troops to decorate the warehouse," Blair answered for her.

"Blair, this isn't even your party or you kid. Why so high strung?" Dan poked at his sister-in law.

"Because, Daniel, this event is being held at my space and I've got a social standing to uphold. I also want Nevada to have a better first birthday then Milo did, and I have to make up for that cake incident," Blair huffed, then looked mildly saddened.

"You don't owe me anything, Blair, but Milo owes me an explanation. I'll talk to you at home, Han," Dan kissed her on the cheek and gave Nevada a big kiss on the forehead, before heading out of the kitchen toward the big playroom. The kids were all working on building some sort of blanket fort.

"Knock knock," Dan knocked on door frame.

"Uncle Dan!" Emilee, Henry, and the twins yelled, running over to tackle Dan with hugs.

"Hey guys, excited for the party tomorrow?" Dan wrapped his arms around them.

"Yeah, there's gonna be cake!" Dallas threw a fist in the air, causing Dan to laugh.

"That's the best part. Do you kids mind if I borrow Milo for a second?" Dad picked his son up and threw him over his shoulder, causing the other kids to laugh. Dan brought him into Chuck's study, closing the door gently behind him. He set Milo down, who was still laughing hysterically. They sat across from each other at a small table in the corner, and Dan turned on a small desk lamp.

"So what's up, dad?" Milo crossed his arms on the table and gave Dan a crooked tooth smile. Dan slid the opened report card across the table, causing Milo's expression to sink to the floor.

"How long have you had trouble reading and writing?" Dan placed the tutoring file on the table.

"Since the beginning of the year…I never had issues last year, but this year, all the letters started doing flips and jumps and I couldn't keep up with it. I knew how much you loved reading and writing, and I didn't want to disappoint you," Milo explained.

"Milo, I could never be disappointed in you because you have trouble with school. What I am disappointed in is that you lied to me. You know that you can always come to me for help, or anything really," Dan disciplined him, "With that being said, you and I are going to have a tutoring session two times a week, starting next week, and as for your punishment for lying…"

"No video games for two weeks?" Milo filled in the blanks.

"Exactly. I won't make you start tonight or tomorrow, since Nev's party is tomorrow and we still have a lot to do, but every Monday and Wednesday are going to be big study nights. Deal?" Dan stuck his hand out for his son to shake.

"Deal," Milo sighed, shaking his father's hand.

"Good, go off and enjoy your night. Hanna will bring you and Kelsia home, and I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Dan stood up and gathered his papers, leading Milo back out. He tried to kiss Milo on the forehead, but Milo ducked away, subbing a hug in instead. Dan got all bundled up, venturing out into the cold to go decorate for Nevada's party. This was the first time Milo had ever rejected a kiss, and to be honest, it broke his heart a little. He knew this was the beginning of the end of Milo's childhood, and into his tweenhood and teenhood, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for that. Whether or not he was ready, Dan realized he was just going to have to embrace it.

* * *

Dan woke to the sounds of his daughter stirring over the baby monitor. He quietly got up, and made his way to his daughter's room. She was standing in her crib, giving Dan a goofy, five toothed smile.

"Good morning, Birthday Princess," Dan picked her up out of her crib.

"Birthday!" Nevada exclaimed, grabbing her Dad's nose.

"Yes, happy first birthday, my beautiful little girl. I can't believe you've been in my life for an entire year. You've added a whole lot of wildness and sunshine in my life, and I am so glad you're my baby. I love you," Dan showered her with kisses, causing her to laugh endlessly.

"Don't have all the fun without me," Hanna popped into the room, smiling and holding back happy tears.

"Mama!" Nevada practically jumped out of her father's arms and into her mother's. Dan kissed Hanna, as Milo and Kelsia entered the room.

"What are we waiting for, we've got a party to get to!" Milo exclaimed. Dan and Hanna laughed, before getting everyone ready and taking the van to Blair's warehouse. Dan carried Nevada in with the rest of his family behind him. He and his brother-in-laws decked out the warehouse in purple and blue décor, no real theme planned ahead of time. Nev was wearing a denim jumper skirt and a purple shirt with blue bows in her hair, to match the theme. Their families, even Hanna's parents and brother, were in attendance to celebrate her big day. They ate cake, opened presents, and overall had a great time. Dan was so thankful for his friends and family, and he couldn't believe how lucky he truly was.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

11 years old

Milo woke up on what he thought was another Tuesday in his 5th grade life. He rolled over to shut his alarm off, noticing the date on the clock. April 20th. He squinted at it, pondering what it could possibly be.

"Oh crap!" Milo whisper yelled, so not as to wake his almost-step-sister. He jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt with a blue triangle pattern on it. He bolted down the spiral staircase and started for the kitchen, but heard Nevada crying. Milo turned around and gently opened the door into her room. She was sitting in her pack'n'play, forlorn that no one had come and gotten her yet. She immediately stopped crying at the sight of her older brother, and she stood up so he could pick her up.

"Morning Nev, hope you haven't caused too much trouble yet," Milo hoisted her out of the pack'n'play and carried her into the kitchen, where he spotted his almost-step-mom making breakfast.

"Morning Milo, I was just going to come get her," Hanna came out of the kitchen and picked up Nevada out of Milo's arms.

"Hanna, do you happen to realize what today is?" Milo sat in the breakfast nook, taking a huge bite out of an apple.

"Umm, the day your dad went into work early because he's got a big story to work on?" Hanna poured some cheerios and banana slices on Nevada's high chair tray, and Nevada immediately dug in.

"It's his birthday! His 30th birthday!" Milo exclaimed in between bites.

"No, his birthday is…today," Hanna turned and looked at the family calendar, "Oh no…"

"Exactly!" Milo exclaimed again, as Kelsia came down the stairs.

"Why are we yelling at 7:30 in the morning?' Kelsia spat out, clearly perturbed that she had been awoken.

"We forgot that today was Dan's 30th birthday," Hanna pet Kelsia's head, before quickly braiding her hair into two boxer braids.

"It's April 20th already?"" Kelsia grabbed a granola bar and nibbled on it.

"What are we going to do?!" Milo tied his classic black and white converses on.

"I will get all of our friends together and set up the party place, you two get decorations and cake. Sound good?"

"Deal," Milo and Kelsia said in tandem.

"Good, and it's going to be a surprise party, so don't say anything to your father,"

"Got it, Mom," Kelsia grabbed her backpack, "C'mon, we don't want to be late for school,"

Milo and Kelsia bounded down the stairs of their apartment building straight into the heart of Midtown. They sprinted around a corner and down two and half blocks, before bounding up concrete stairs into their public school building. There was no one in the hallways, which meant warning bell had already rung, so they gave each other a high five and split into their separate classrooms. Milo quietly slid into his seat while the teacher had her back turned, and quickly unpacked his bag into his desk.

"Where have you been?!" Jane leaned over and asked Milo.

"Party planning, we all forgot it was dad's birthday!" Milo whisper yelled back.

"Quiet please!" their teacher snapped. The two of them winked at each other, their secret sign that everything was going to be okay. They sat through a morning math lesson and then silent reading and writing, in which Milo had to go to the second floor of the school to meet with his specialist. After a little bit of a struggle to get through _The Giver_ , it was finally time for lunch. Milo was one of the last ones to get in the cafeteria for lunch, but he was the first one to his table. He quickly walked to the table in the corner, next to the window. He unpacked his special lunch, since he couldn't eat cafeteria food on account of his allergy. Kelsia and Jane quickly caught up to him at the table, setting their trays down and taking their respective seats.

"So what are we going to do about decorations and a cake?" Kelsia threw out as she took a bite into her sandwich.

"Well, do you guys want a theme?" Jane tossed Milo her juice box in exchange for his fruit snacks.

"Definitely, if the UES is going to be there, we need to make sure it's absolutely amazing," Kelsia responded.

"What about a circus theme? Since his life is one big circus!" Milo smiled.

"Yeah! So what are we getting for décor and a cake?" Kelsia pondered.

"We're just going to have to get creative," Milo rubbed his hands together.

The final bell rang at 2pm, and Milo sprang out of his seat the minute he heard it. He, along with Jane and Kelsia, sprinted to Blair's warehouse to get decorations. Because the party was going to be more low-key than normal, they decided to have the party at the loft where Jenny and her partner lived. It was also the same loft where Milo and Dan had started their journey together. The trio busted in the door, tripping over each other and landing hard on the concrete floor.

"Well hello there," Blair's heels clicked over and she crossed her arms as she planted herself in front of the preteens.

"Hey Aunt Blair, we were wondering if you had any decorations-"Milo got cut off.

"For Dan's party? I put together a box of old circus décor and random fabric from the last fashion show," Blair helped the kids up, before pointing to a box in the corner.

"Thank you!" the kids shouted in unison before grabbing the box and running to the bus stop so they could make it to Brooklyn. They hopped on the bus, anticipating their next task when they arrived at their Aunt Jenny's loft. They got off in front of the loft, and paged their way into the building. They slid the door open to find the loft empty.

"Hello?" Kelsia called into the art-deco styled loft. Milo dropped the box on the couch before going into the kitchen to find everything he'd need for a cake on the counter, along with a note that read:

"Set the oven for 325, and make sure you don't burn down the loft. I'll be back before the party-Aunt J"

"I'll start decorating the loft if you two want to start baking the cake," Kelsia offered, taking some red and white banners out of the box.

"Sure thing," Jane nodded, opening the box of cake mix and dumping it into the mixer. Milo added in eggs and milk to the bowl, before accidentally flicking the switch and turning the mixer on. Milo and Jane screamed as chocolate cake mix sprayed the entire kitchen and into the living room, where Kelsia was blowing up multi colored balloons.

"Milo, what did you do?!" Kelsia screamed as a dollop of cake mix hit her in the right eye.

Just as the kids erupted into a chorus of screams, the loft door slid open and Dan's eyes widened at the spectacle in front of him. He dropped his messenger bag and sprinted into the kitchen, ripping the electrical cord out of the socket. Kelsia peeked her head out from behind the big couch cushion she had turned into a makeshift shield. Milo and Jane came out from their hiding spot behind the island, still in shock. Chocolate cake batter was splattered on every wall, as well as on various pieces of furniture and fixtures.

"What is going on in here? And more importantly, where if your Aunt Jenny?" Dan stood with his arms crossed in between the kitchen and living room. As if right on cue, a Gossip Girl blast went out:

Uh oh, looks like you can't have your cake and eat it too. Will Not-So-Lonely Boy get the party of his lifetime, or will he be celebrating his third decade with a clean sweep? Only time will tell. XOXO Gossip Girl

"Hey kids! Are you almost ready for Dan's party-oh no," Hanna strolled in nonchalantly, with Nevada waddling in tow. She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Jenny's loft.

"Hey mom! Did you get, all the uh, invites out?" Kelsia stood up, still only using one eye for sight as the other one was covered in the batter. Nevada broke free from her mom's grasp and sprinted for some cake batter on the floor.

"What party? Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Dan picked Nevada up by the armpits before she could lick the floor, and he straddled her on his hip.

"Well, um, we all woke up today and kind of forgot it was your birthday. So we decided to throw together a surprise party, and Hanna asked us to get decorations and make the cake. The decorations were going fine, but the cake had a disagreement with Jane and me…" Milo explained sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Dan, this is all my fault. I should have remembered your birthday sooner," Hanna's shoulder's dropped.

"I just can't believe you all went to this much effort to celebrate my birthday," Dan smiled, "Now let's clean this up, and I'll act surprised when all the guests arrive,"

Dan handed Nevada to Hanna, before pulling Milo's old pack-n-play out of the coat closet. He set it up, and placed Nevada in it, while Hanna soaked rags in hot water and soap. The kids worked on wiping down the walls and wooden furniture, while Hanna and Dan did spot cleaning on all the soft surfaces. After about an hour of cleaning, the girls went back to decorating the rest of the loft, while the boys remade the cake. Once the cake was in the oven, Hanna gave Dan a paper bag with his outfit for the party in it, then shooed him out of the loft until the party was supposed to start. Milo, Kelsia, and Jane got dressed in their party clothes, then started up some festive music. Hanna got Nevada changed into a little elephant costume, whilst she put on a ring leader costume. Guests soon started arriving, he first being Jenny and her partner, then the rest of the UES, including Rufus and Lily. Everybody found a place to hide, before Dan slid open the door and acted surprised when everyone popped up and wished him a happy birthday.

"I had no idea I was gonna get a surprise party!" Dan threw his hands in the air, as his wife and kids laughed silently to themselves. The rest of the party was lowkey, as they ate finger sandwiches and cake, and Dan reveled in how much he was loved. He thought back on his life, and he wondered how he was so lucky as to have such amazing friends and family. The smile dimmed on his face, as the thought of turning thirty finally set in. Dan knew that it was time to drop the biggest bomb he would ever drop, even bigger than when he adopted Milo.

"Hey everyone, thank you so much for this wonderful party. I'm so blessed to have you guys as friends and family, and I'll always be appreciative of the help and support you've provided. Since I'm now thirty, I've decided that I need to come clean and tell you all…I'm Gossip Girl," Dan put his hands in his pocket, and stared at the floor, worried for the storm that was headed his way. Everyone was silent in shock. Dan had sent out so many blasts about himself and Milo, degrading themselves and embarrassing themselves.

"How did you do it?" Blair broke the silence.

"Well, I did it solo for a while, but I always had spies and other Upper East Siders who would send in tips," Dan shrugged.

"But why?" Serena crossed her arms.

"It honed my gossip writing skills. How do you think I got the Entertainment Weekly job?"

"You almost ruined your life, and Milo's life, and all of our lives," Nate and Chuck kindly noted.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I just wanted to be a part of your world," Dan apologized, as he picked up a whiny Nevada and propped her up on his hip.

"We forgive you, Dan. But we just have one thing to say," Jenny smirked at him.

"What is it?" Milo asked.

"XOXO!" everyone shouted.

"I guess I should have seen that coming. I love you guys," Dan smiled, pulling Milo in for hug, while Nevada clung onto her father. He wondered what the next thirty years might hold, but for now, he was happy with the way his life had turned out.

 **A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm sorry for such a long hiatus, I've been at extremely busy at college, and to be honest, my love and passion for Gossip Girl and Brooklyn Boys has died down. I have much more interest in writing other fanfictions for other movies and TV shows. I had plans to turn this into a spinoff fic, where Milo became a new version of Gossip Girl and we got to see the UES kids grow up and deal with high school drama, but I just don't have the time or interest anymore. I'm so glad that you all took the time to read my fanfic, and I'll forever be grateful for the opportunity you gave me. XOXO-CK


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